A New Beginning - Part 2

[terimaru]

Special thanks to
hfleming8 for the beta.  Any mistakes are mine.

Ba ba - father, daddy

Ye Ye  (yeah yee) - paternal grandfather

qiǎng - small coins, sometimes held on a string

sǎ - shoes

Bie zhe yang - don’t behave like this.

Ni zi - little girl

Xin li - my heart

Yao niao ma - need the potty?

Bu shi - no

Di yu - hell

Mal opened the door and the pleased smile that lit up his face made Abel feel warm and welcomed.

“Mornin’, Abel.  Come in and have a cup of coffee with us.”

“Good morning, Malcolm.” Abel stepped in, removing his hat as he entered the sunny living area of the Reynolds’ rented home.  Mal took the hat and hung it on a coat rack near the door before waving him into the adjoining kitchen where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee scented the air with a heavenly bouquet.

When Inara had had the cottage redone, she had gotten permission to take down a wall that had separated the kitchen and living area into small, tight rooms.  Now the two rooms were open and light, filled with simple pine furniture and overstuffed chairs.  The rooms exuded comfort and casualness.

Serenity’s crew, as well Abel and Abigail, were often invited over for potluck suppers.  Though Serenity was still a large part of their lives, the cottage held a certain charm that drew them to it equally. The gatherings usually leant themselves to card games, good whiskey, and lots of discussion about the goings on in Paraiso - everything from the upcoming rainy season to the new couple that had stopped to shop at Abel’s store and asked about settling around Paraiso. And, of course, everyone played with Alley as she moved from one adult to another until she’d finally tire and find her way into Mal’s arms where she’d curl up against his chest and sleep.  She was still a wonder to them at two and a half and she had them all wrapped completely around her little finger, though none so tightly as her father.

“Abel, it’s so nice to see you.  You’re out early.” Inara greeted him with a graciously inviting smile.  She sat at the small dining table, sipping tea as she watched Alley eat her breakfast in the old wooden high chair that Abel had brought from his barn. All his sons had used it, and when Alley had been born he’d dragged it down and refinished it, restoring the wood to a warm honeyed glow. Inara claimed it was one of her favorite pieces of furniture, along with the rocking chair from Jayne.

“Please, sit down,” she nodded to the seat next to Alley and he slowly lowered himself in the chair, always happy to see the smallest Reynolds.  Alley looked equally delighted to see a new person in the house.  She held her chubby arms up to Abel.  “Alley wants out!  Want to see Ye ye,” she demanded, grinning gleefully.  Able chuckled at her, and gently shook his head.

No one knew where she’d picked up the Mandarin word for paternal grandfather, but it warmed his heart like nothing had in a long time.  Alley considered everyone who inhabited her world family and named them accordingly. All the crew was an uncle or an aunt, and he’d been named grandfather.  Abel suspected River might have been behind the choice but he’d never asked her.

The first time she called Abel by that title in front of Serenity’s crew there had been a startled, slightly uncomfortable silence around the table as they’d all glanced between Mal and Abel to gauge their response.

Inara, as she so often did, had gracefully defused the situation by telling Abel it looked like he’d been adopted into the Reynolds’ clan and offering a toast to new crew.  Mal had toasted right along with them, an affectionate smile lighting his face.  After all, Inara had continued, he and Abigail had been there to watch over her before Alley was born and he was with them the night she came into the world.  Who better to be surrogate grandparents?  Abel took the responsibility as seriously as he would have if the child had been his own blood and loved her just as much.

“Not just yet, miss. It looks like you still need to finish up here,” he handed Alley a piece of toast that Inara had cut into strips and turned to face her mother.  Mal placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of him, out of Alley’s reach.

“Ah, thank you, Malcolm, it smells wonderful.” To Inara he remarked, “She’s looking much recovered from last week.  It’s good to see the color coming back into those little cheeks,” he commented, referring to an event that had shaken them all.

Inara and Alley flew with Serenity now, especially on some of the short-range jobs that Mal had picked up.  Right after the Miranda incident, Mal and Zoe, still leery of the Operative, had begun to work with the lowest criminal element they could find.  Mal’s reasoning had been that if these contacts were targeted by the Alliance at least their deaths would improve the ‘verse. Of course, this had also kept him from adding the citizens of Paraiso as a regular contact despite the whole crew’s arguments.

In the three years since they’d rented the cottage and his daughter’s birth, he had begun to look for safer work and he’d found enough to make it viable.  Safer work didn’t always equal lucrative pay, but Mal had confided to Abel that he considered it a trade off, especially since his main income was coming from the moonshine he hauled for Paraiso. Once he’d started working with a class of clientele that wouldn’t shoot him in the back for a string of qiǎng, he’d felt comfortable having his family back on board.

It was on the last trip that Alley had contracted the illness. She had begun by being fretful and cranky, and suddenly spiked a high fever before becoming violently ill.  Kaylee had given him the details of the incident including the fact that Mal had been beside himself with worry.  “You know the Cap’n, Abel, always waitin’ for the other sǎ to drop.  Took Zoë to calm him down, and Inara was all to pieces her own self.  Alley was unconscious and would near burn you to touch her.  We was all worried to death ‘til Simon got her fever down, poor little thing.  He came up with the idea of wrappin’ her in a sheet and coverin' her with ice.  Probably saved her life.”

Abel was glad to see the child back to normal, her rounded baby face flushed with a tinge of pink and wreathed with her charming smiles. She was an enchanting child, an interesting mixture of Mal and Inara, though to look at her you would only see the startling physical resemblance to her mother.  As Abigail was fond of saying, she might look like Inara, but the child was Malcolm Reynolds made over when it came to stubbornness and determination.

“Yes, Simon thinks it was just a virus.  She’s been back to normal these past few days, and as bossy as ever,” Inara said ruefully, but both men heard the relief in her voice.

Abel studied Mal surreptitiously, watching the younger man as he sat back in his chair, one leg casually bent at the knee, his arm around Inara, facing Abel across the table.  Though he seemed to keep the same edge as ever in relation to work, Mal had become more relaxed in his personal relationships.  He laughed more now, eyes crinkling as he grinned at his family - all of them - and he didn’t seem to worry quite as much.  Though the financial arrangement was beneficial to all of them, they were by no means wealthy, so Abel concluded that it was having Inara and Alley that had mellowed the boy somewhat.

Abel knew from his own experiences that regaining happiness was a slippery slope when you’d lost so much. He doubted that Malcolm would ever truly heal from his experiences in the war, but he knew the hurts would fade, replaced over time with new memories of his wife and family. He had heard the story of Mal and Inara’s rocky relationship on Serenity from River and Kaylee, and he was glad to know that Inara had had the determination to stick with Malcolm when a lesser woman might have given up on him.  Not that their marriage was perfect, by any means.  Their tumultuous blowups at the drop of a hat were legendary in Paraiso, and were considered one of the town’s foremost entertainments. No one doubted for a second, however, that they weren't devoted to each other.

The three friends carried on a casual conversation while Alley finished up her breakfast.  She’d reverted back to her toddler language, only occasionally asking a question of Inara, and offering Abel bites of her toast from sticky fingers.  Alley could speak some words clearly in Anglo and Mandarin but about half of her speech was still gibberish.

The adults caught up on the doings of Paraiso, the weather, and the pending apple crop before Abel finally directed his attention to Mal. “I’ve come to ask a favor of you, if you’re not too busy today.”

Mal shot an asking glance at Inara and she shook her head to indicate that she didn’t need him for anything.  “Looks like I’m a free man.  Zoe, Jayne, and River won’t be back until tonight, so I guess I can be had for a few hours. What’d ya have in mind?”

“A little outing. I’ve got something I’d like your opinion on, and if you don’t mind overly, I’d like to take the shuttle. It’ll make the trip in about thirty minutes, but we’ll be on the road for a couple of hours if we ride the horses.”

Mal mulled that over for a few minutes, taking a sip of coffee to gather his thoughts. His mind mentally mapped the area around Paraiso, trying to recall anything in those quadrants that would interest Abel.  He had been east and south on several short-range hauls, taking some tractor parts and supplies out to farmers and returning with fresh dairy products, but he hadn’t explored the other regions in any depth.  Most of their work came from the small moons and worlds surrouding Avery, not the planet itself.

“This about a job?  Cause I can’t think of anything at those coordinates that we’ve hauled before.”

“No, not this time. Some business for me - if you’re sure you have the time.  I don’t want to rush you.”

Mal shrugged. “‘S a good day to be out enjoyin’ the weather. Shuttle’s prepped down at the dock. Just let me get my gear.” Mal wanted to ask questions, Abel could tell, but he wanted to keep him curious for just a bit longer.

“Thank you, Malcolm. This means a great deal to me.” He finished his coffee while Mal went to their bedroom to strap on his holster and get his disreputable brown coat.

Inara granted Alley her freedom by cleaning the tray and then lifting it up so that Abel could take the chattering child. Abel held the toddler up, relishing her joy at simply being alive. Alley put small, starfish shaped hands on either side of his face and stated clearly, “Alley wants down.” She glanced at her mother who raised an elegant eyebrow. “Pease,” she added at the look.

Abel chuckled and stood her on the floor. She immediately took off, making beeline down the hall in the direction she had seen Mal disappear, dark hair flying out behind her as she ran to find her father, shouting, “I be right back!” over her shoulder.

Inara smiled at her daughter’s retreating form and leaned back in her chair, enjoying the quiet moment.

“Since she’s been sick, she’s been clinging to Mal a bit more than normal.”  She turned her attention to Abel. “I haven’t seen Abigail in a few days. I hope she’s well.”

Abel was pleased to be asked about his new wife of a few months.  “She’s very well.  These past few days she’s been working me half to death, wanting her garden enlarged.  I keep telling her she already raises enough food for ten families, but this woman will not listen to me nor to reason.  I seem to have no luck finding a wife who will mind her husband.  Women these days are willful,” he moaned, clearly teasing.

Inara laughed.  “I, for one, am glad she grows so much produce. She’s certainly kept us in fresh vegetables and fruits ever since we came here.”  She rose and began gathering up the cups and Alley’s dishes from the table.  “As for the willfulness, you and Mal can commiserate on the ride about how the women in your lives refuse to do your bidding.”

“It’s a sorry state of affairs, Abel, but I can’t seem to find no solution to it that don’t involve premeditated violence and gun play,” Mal joined in, catching the last part of the conversation as he returned to the kitchen with Alley slung over his back.

She had put on a child-sized cowboy hat that was held onto her head by a string under her chin and she had both arms in a death grip around Mal’s neck. Her short legs were wrapped around his sides, and she was grinning happily over his shoulder at her mother and their guest. “Man’s got no control in his own home.”

Inara moved to them, still holding the cups.  She tilted her head up and he met her lips in a soft kiss.

“That’s not true, Mal, I give you plenty of control.  If you want more, you just have to ask,” she quipped.  Abel chuckled appreciatively at their banter and waved at Alley from his seat at the table.

“Get your daughter, woman, and try to keep a civil tongue in that head,” Mal groused as he turned so that Inara could reach Alley.

Alley would have no part of it.  She turned her head away from Inara and nearly choked Mal with a vice grip on his neck.

“I go with Ba ba!” she stated firmly.

“Alley, bie zhe yang!" Mal warned softly.  Alley buried her small face in his neck, but she still wouldn’t look at Inara.

“Apparently she’s your daughter this morning,” Inara sighed, clearly envisioning a battle that was going to end in angry tears and sulking fits.  Alleyne loved being with her father and Abel knew it infuriated her when she wasn't allowed to leave with him.

“Bring her with us, Malcolm,” Abel said, standing slowly to stretch the kinks out of his arthritic joints. “The child will be no trouble, and it’s a safe place that we’re going to visit.”

Mal glanced at his wife for approval.  Her hopeful smile was all it took to have him chuckling.  He turned back to Inara, Alley still draped around his neck.  He cupped her face in his large hand and pulled her to him for a longer kiss while Alley watched them with interest. Watching the two kiss was nothing new to Alley or Abel, both being used to the affectionate nature of the couple when they were in their home.  As they pulled apart, Alley smacked her own lips, her signal for a kiss, which Inara gave her. Mal grinned down at his wife and shook his head.

“Fairly breaks my heart to observe such wretchedness at seein’ the back of us,” he scolded playfully.

Inara put her hand on his cheek, loving the sight of him being so playful with their daughter.  Alley had broken through so many of Mal’s emotional barriers in her short life.  He was still cynical and his memories still haunted him, but the love he felt for his daughter was so intense that it had crowded out a lot of his former bitterness.  No matter how many times she observed them together it never failed to touch her heart.  She couldn’t believe now that she’d ever hesitated to make a child with this man.

She grinned up at him, unrepentantly, laughter sparkling in her eyes.  “If you had to stay here with her when she has one of her fits because she can’t tag along with her father, you’d understand this smile.”  Inara turned to Abel, who stood patiently waiting, familiar with their ways by now.  He was content to watch Mal  being so relaxed and obviously happy with his family .  “Abel, how long are you going to be gone?”

The older man mentally tallied. “Probably about four hours, give or take.”

Inara turned back to Mal with a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile.  “This is the smile of a woman who’s going to have a long, hot bath, and read a very naughty novel without having to answer ‘why Momma?’ even one time.  Honestly, there might be tears,” Inara practically purred.

Abel coughed and got to his feet.  “You two are making me blush. Malcolm, give me the little one and I'll get her ready to go.”  Though his words sounded stiff and a little stern, Abel’s eyes were twinkling with amusement.

Mal swung Alley around to his front with a practiced sling of his shoulders and stood her on the floor. “Go get your boots, ni zi.”  Alley ran to obey, being smart enough to recognize that she’d scored a win.  She found them, and then ran back to Abel, holding them up for him to slip on her feet.

Glancing around to make sure Abel and Alley were occupied and busy with their own conversation, Mal gently maneuvered Inara out of their line of sight into the hall and pressed her up against the wall with his lower body, arms on either side of her head.

“Naughty novel, huh?  This one akin to that last book you read?” Mal inquired hopefully in a low, intimate tone, referring to a work of fiction that Inara had recently finished.  She’d jokingly mentioned to him that she wanted to test out some of the sexual techniques mentioned in the story just to see if two bodies could actually bend that way without breaking bones. They’d both found out to their delight that they actually could, and Mal had become an instant fan of her naughty novels.

She chuckled warmly, sliding her hands around his neck to play with the short hair lying on his nape, conscious of Abel working on Alley’s boots in the living room and their banter.

“Possibly,” she whispered.  “You’ll have to hurry back to find out won’t you?  My advice?  Don’t let Alleyne go to sleep, but do let her run around a lot and get very tired.  You should be getting back here right around nap time.”

Mal’s eyes darkened and his hands cupped her shoulders, pulling her body fully against his.  He smoothed one large palm down her back, flattening her breasts against his chest and cupping her bottom to pull her into him.

Her lips parted on a sigh and she tangled her fingers in his hair to tug his head down to hers.  She angled his head to the side and caught his lower lip with a soft bite, then sucked it lightly into her mouth before she delved into the moist recesses of his mouth, tasting him, tangling their tongues.

Mal returned her kiss passionately, hungrily, sweetly.  He gave himself to her completely, showing her with his lips and his hands just what she meant to him.

Mal drew away from her mouth to trail hot kisses across her cheek and down her neck, burying his face in the curve of her shoulder, biting tenderly at the sensitive arc to score her softly scented skin with his teeth.  He felt her gasp and quiver against him, before he slowly backed away. He gave her a gentle parting kiss, basking in the warmth of her loving gaze.

He’d just opened his mouth to respond when Abel’s amused voice reached him from where he stood at the door, holding Alley, who was wearing Abel’s hat over her own and a short quilted jacket.

“Malcolm, I don’t know what you’re doing in there, but I can guess. This is one of the reasons we have no control, just in case you don’t know it."

Mal gave Inara one last kiss and a promising look. “Who needs control?  Be back soon, xin li."

Inara followed him to the door to tell Alley goodbye. The toddler was all beaming smiles now that she was going with her father.  She graciously squeezed her mother in a tight hug. “Bye, Momma, Alley go with Ba ba,” she reiterated just in case there might be some question.

“Ya niao ma?”

“Bu shi, Momma.’

“Very well then, darling, have fun.  Be a good girl and mind you father.”  She gave Abel an affectionate smile and stepped in to give him a peck on the cheek as well.  Abel blushed with pleasure.  “Thank you, Abel, for taking her.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the respite.”

“You are quite welcome, Inara.  I can remember how frazzled Samantha used to get when my own boys were small.  We’ll take the long way home.”

“What? And miss nap time?” Mal objected, with a glint of humor in his eye, as he checked his gun belt. “The di yu we will.  I’ve got a pressing literary engagement around here this afternoon, Abel.”

The older man just shook his head and chuckled, then led the way with Alley who was pointing in the direction of the shuttle and chattering incomprehensibly.  Inara watched them with a loving smile as they left, waving to Alley and giving Mal a promising look of her own as he turned around at the end of the walk to wave.