VFF The Book continues 4

* I wipe the lipstick from my lips and watch Abbey streak down the hall*

Huh.

* Sky walks in and asks about something. I can hear her talking but focusing on what’s she’s saying just aint happening.*

Sky: COLT!

* That shakes me out of it but only for a second*

Sky: Where are we heading?

I...I..Abbey. I told Abbey she could resupply.

Sky: And she said?

*Enthusiastically* I can go ask her.

*For the second time today she gives me her "your a jackass" look and shakes her head.*

* I knock on Abbeys door. She comes to the door and blushes a little when she sees it me. She turns to hide it. I grab her arm gently and pull her to me.
Well... it might complicate things.

Abbey: Yes it will.

*We lay there for a full minute. Each of us thinking about the consequences. *

I kinda like complicated.

Abbey: Me too.

* I lean over her and kiss her . Things are heating up quick when I look up and see the biggest goram rat I ever saw in my life. I grab Abbey and roll off the bed. We crash to the ground, her on top of me.*

Abbey: What are you doing?

Rat...big rat...looked like a gopher.

*she scrambles off of me and looks around the room*

Abbey: I don’t see anything.

It was right there *pointing at the headboard* big sucker.

* Abbey looks at me. Her look surprises me*

Abbey: Jesus Colt, if you changed you mind just say so. I'm a big girl. You don’t have to make anything up.

I aint. There was a gopher...I mean a rat. It was.....watching us.

Abbey: Just get out.

No no wait. No mind changing *she’s pushing me to the door* There was a rat.

Abbey: Out

*The door slams shut behind me.*

That could a gone better.

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*abbey stands staring at the door, fuming.*

abbey *to herself*: How dare he? Changes his mind? Nearly broke my arm jumping off the bed. A Rat? What’s with that??? Exactly what is his problem???

abbey decides she needs a drink and turns around. Sitting there in front of the broken refrigerator is the critter in question. abbey screams and runs out of her shuttle, closing the door quickly behind her.

She runs into Colt, who is still standing there, grinning at her. She hides behind him, placing him between her and the door.

Colt: I tried to tell you.

abbey *flustered*: Where in the rutting Hell did that come from and how long has it been in there?

Colt: Must have wandered in during one of your recent games. Had the door open any?

abbey: Didn’t think for long enough for something like… like… THAT coming in. How are we gonna get that thing out?

Colt: Don’t quite know that yet. Never had to deal with something like that. That thing is HUGE!

abbey: I can’t… No... I won’t stay there until that thing is gone.

Colt: Suppose that’s so.

abbey: Then everything needs to be sanitized. Who knows what IT brought in too.

Colt *agreeing*: Suppose that’s true as well.

*abbey is beginning to calm down a bit. She turns him around to face her. All the while keeping a good eye on the door*

abbey *feeling terrible about how she treated him*: I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.

Colt *pulls her back into his arms*: Not sure if I would have either.

abbey *Looking up into his eyes*: So until this is… fixed, where should I sleep?

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by abbeygirl:
[Babbey *Looking up into his eyes*: So until this is… fixed, where should I sleep?

---

* The question just hangs out there. I know what answer I want to say but I also know we don't need the grief this crew will lay on us if they find out we're together*

Lets deal with this problem first.*pointing to her shuttle door*

Abbey: You’re going in there?

It's just a rat.

Abbey: Oh, you mean it's just a rat that ran you out of bed a few minutes ago.

It just...surprised me is all. Would have spooked you to if you had seen it first.

Abbey: Do it later *taking my hand*

I can get it now it’s not that bi....*I look down at her hand then slowly gaze up her body to her eyes. She smiles at me and I forget all about the gopher.*

* I hear noise in the galley and look down to see a shadow coming from the dorms. *

*I close my eyes and start running though the ship in my mind, looking for a place we can be alone without the crew seeing us. When I open them I see the port shuttle.*

* We cross the catwalk quickly and quietly. I grab the door handle and wince as the thought of it being jammed again flashes in my mind. I pull the handle and it opens. *

* Inside and the door locked behind us, we each scan the shuttle. A collection of crates, cargo nets and boxes are scattered around the hold.*

* I look at her and shrug my shoulders. She walks over to the crates, turns and smiles.




*Later*



*Holding hands we open the door and look to see if it’s clear. As we step out of the shuttle our hand part as she moves toward the dorm rooms and I head to the bridge.*

*On the bridge*

Sky, look like were heading to Persephone once the Doc and Mobbex are back.

Sky: Wash you have something you want to tell the Captain?

Wash: I got a cat. *uneasy*

Sky: You got a bobcat.

Wash: Yeah it’s a bobcat.

A bobcat? *both of the brace for the barrage they know is about to come* You might want to throw it in Abbey's shuttle seems there a rat loose in there. She'll be staying in the dorm till she gets the place cleaned up. *turning to leave* Once the crew is back on get us in the air.

*Sky and Wash look at each other*

Wash: I thought you said he would be mad?

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abbey goes into the passenger dorm that she used to occupy before her shuttle was finished. The bed is stripped of any linens and the room is essentially empty. She looks at the mirror on the wall and smiles. Then notices that her hair is a mussed a bit. She uses her fingers to straighten it out.

She thinks about Colt and is content. For the first time in a long while, she is completely relaxed.

abbey *to herself*: Well, we’ll have to do that more often.

She decides to go up to the galley for another drink. She walks there, smiling and humming as she goes. When she arrives, Colt is leaning up against the counter by the coffee pot. His eyes are closed and a slight smile is on his lips as well.

She looks around and sees no one before crossing the room and placing a soft kiss on his lips. He wraps his arms around her. She sighs.

Colt: You ok with this?

abbey *nodding*: Better than I’ve been in a long while.

Colt *smiling wider*: Good. *He holds her tightly for a few more moments* As much as I’d like to stand here all day like this, someone will eventually come in here.

abbey *parting from him*: Of course, and I’m not ready for this to be common knowledge quite yet.

*She pours herself a glass of tea. It is luke warm but she doesn’t notice.*

Colt: Me either.

abbey: I set myself up in my old room in the passenger dorm. Well kinda… There basically isn’t anything in there but a mattress. *a mischievous grin passes fleetingly across Colt’s face* I’ll need to find some linens.

Colt: Might be some extras in the infirmary. Blankets at least.

abbey *as she starts to leave*: I’d best be seeing to that then.

She quietly leaves the room and heads back to the passenger dorms, leaving Colt to his thoughts.

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*Brit is sitting on the floor, holding the bobcat and stroking it's fur as Sky and Wash come up to her. Brit looks up at the two of them as she smiles with her teeth*

Brit: His name is Simba.

*Sky and Wash look at each other and chuckle*

Sky: *Looks back at Brit* Well we're gonna need Simba to do us a little favor.

Brit: *She seems uneasy* I will not have her be eaten.

Wash: *Her eyes widen as she shakes her head* No, no! We're not going to eat her!

Brit: I never said it was going to be you...

Sky: Look, little girl. We need you to release that cat into Abbey's shuttle. Captain said somethin' about some giant rat and we need Simba to catch it alright?

Brit: It would be useless.

Sky: *raises and eyebrow* And why is that?

Brit: It's not in there anymore. And even if it was, they wouldn't be gone.

*Sky still has a raised eyebrow and Wash becomes uneasy*

Brit: Simba will die.

Wash: *Begins to panic* Maybe... m-maybe we shouldn't...

Brit: And then all of us will die. *Brit is smiling*

Wash: Oh my God... We're all gonna die!!!

Sky: Wash! *slaps Wash across the face, and Wash holds her hand on her cheek* Snap out of it. The girl was only jokin'.

Brit: No I wasn't. *Brit stands up with Simba in her hands* Fine. I will let him go. *Sky and Wash watch her walk away*

Wash: She freaks me out... hey why didn't you go release the cat into Abbey's shuttle? I thought the Captain told you to do it.

Sky: *Looks at Wash. She's busted* Ah, um, well... he was never specific as to who really had to do it. 'Sides... I ain't goin' near no giant rats... *shudders and walks away, Wash follows*




*Meanwhile Brit arrives at Abbey's shuttle. She looks around for a moment, and then her eyes turn toward the bed that has ruffled up sheets*

Ewwww... *she scrunches her nose. Trying to push the thought out of her mind, she puts Simba down*

Okay Simba. Now don't get eaten. I'm afraid these large rodents aren't very friendly...

*She leaves Simba in the shuttle and walks out and up into the bridge to see Wash and Sky. Sky is drinking hard liquor*

Sky: Hey Brit. You let Simba into Abbey's shuttle, I take it.

Brit: Yes. Simba has been set off into his fate. I think it would have been less painful to just stick him in the freezer.

-----------------------------------------------
"You know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you understand who's in ruttin' command here!" - Jayne Cobb (Firefly)

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Mobbex knocks back his drink rather expeditiously, then gets up and makes for the bar.

'Gonna get her some more too, 'faster she's all tanked up, 'faster I can drag her butt outta here'n be done with it.

He makes out familiar gurgling noises exuding from his belly.

"Feelin' a wee bit peckish, too... prolly should try'n grab some eats."

Mobbex, as he comes up to the counter: Y' got vittles?

The Barkeep turns to him and nods toward a bulky stainless steel appliance embedded in the wall behind him.

Mobbex: Shén me shi... ?

Barkeep: *picks up a tumbler and starts wiping it absently* Deep fryer. 'You up for some fries?

Mobbex: *frowns* Fries? Y' mean, like... noodles?

Barkeep, scoffing: Hell no, this rock ain't much for land management. Spuds are pretty much all that sticks in these parts.

Mobbex: *shrugs* Sure, I'll have some. Oh, and a bottle, too...

The Barkeep opens a cupboard and pulls out a demijohn of the local ale.

Mobbex: Yeah, that oughta do it...

A handful of minutes later, the Barkeep is handing him his order.

Mobbex: Many thanks. *drops a small stack of coins on the counter*

He scoops up his plate, tucks the bottle under his arm, and is heading back toward the table when...

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Oram:
Oram: *terrified* Wo de tian a… MOB--

Lackey: Shut up, you little bitch!

---

Mobbex feels a deathly fiend arousing in his gut as he witnesses a bunch of locals manhandling Oram across the room.

'Knew this was a rotten idea...

He instantly places the man who seems to be the leader of the group.

Deadeye and Mobbex, in unison: YOU!?

Deadeye: *motions for his cronies to take on Mobbex* You two, get him!

Mobbex's training takes over as the two men stride up to him.

He hurls the bottle in the air, then shoves his plate at the first guy's face, knocking him back, before spinning around and using his momentum to strike the other one in the gullet with the knife edge of his hand. The man is swept off the ground by the sheer force of the blow and lands hard on his back. Mobbex then grabs the remaining man by the collar of his shirt and head butts him squarely on the nose before holding out his hands to catch the falling bottle.

Deadeye, who now has his arms folded around Oram, has his attention diverted by the beating his underlings are taking. Oram chooses this moment to stretch her mouth open and bite a chunk out of the fleshy tissue between the thumb and index fingers of his right hand. He yelps in pain and lets her fall to the ground. She tries to get to her feet, but Deadeye grabs her by the scruff of her neck and rams her head against the floor, knocking her out.

Mobbex sets the bottle on the ground and walks up to Deadeye.

Mobbex: Y're either soft in the head or's pigheaded as my long departed ol' man! Either way, y' crossed me twice in the space of a day, so... *lays a hand over his leg holster and pulls out Tearjerker* Say cheese!

Deadeye's face takes on an ashy pallor.

Deadeye: *takes a couple of steps backward* Hey look, huh, I... m'sure we can talk this through...

Mobbex: Sorry, I ain't in the mood *hoists up his weapon and shoots him point blank in the head*

The round sends the top half of Deadeye's head flying in multiple directions.

Mobbex holsters his piece, then leans down next to Oram and picks her off the floor.

Mobbex: Mi tian gohn! 'A gal y're bigness, one'd think you'd be a mite lighter...

He swings her onto his broad back and eases her into a piggyback position before heading out the door.



Brit: Steadfast stares and yet he's but a sheep amongst lions. What exactly am I? Oh, wait, that's right... I'm insane...

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*After returning to the ship Stan heads straight to his dorm.*

"Well now, that was a bit of fun I won't forget for awhile.... the Captain is one brilliant son of a..."

*He unzips and shrugs off his coveralls then lies down on his mattress and picks up his data book. Accessing his personal files he cues up some classical music. The strum of a single guitar quietly fills the small room. Followed by a mans voice.*

"Old pirates yes they rob I. Sold I to the merchant ships. Minutes after they...."

*Within seconds he's out cold.*

-< Roughly an hour or so later >-

*The ship is quiet. Stan wakes up in a cold sweat, grabs his coveralls and heads to the shower. Ten minutes later he's climbing the stairs towards the aft-hallway. He catches a bit of shadow moving out of the corner of his left eye, near the inner-bulkhead door leading to Water-storage and reclamation. He pauses, leaning closely and squinting at the shadowed corner.*

"There's nothing there. Just an empty, dark corner of a decades old ship."

Stan: *Turning and muttering quietly to himself* "What the HELL is wrong with this ship?"

*He shakes his head and reminds himself he's had a pretty eventful day and moves on to the galley to find something to eat.*




<--------------------<<<<-~~~~(*)~~~~->>>>-------------------->
"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read" Gaius Plinius Secundus

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