Rule of Flying

They've been taking on lots more passengers these days, there's less money in it, but a steady supply of work coming in. Everyone wants to get off whatever God forsaken rock they were born to and land on one equally as ruined.

Right now they're testing a new strategy, worked out a chain of planets to be their route, and just taking her slow between them, don't want to work her too hard, you know? The stream of passengers rotates, but there always seems to be an overlap between the new batches.

Rumours are beginning to spread through the passengers, getting wilder with every stop and changeover.

Rumours that this old boat is haunted, that a ghost walks through the halls, closing doors and playing a hiss over the 'coms.

Mal knows better.

There are a few ghosts on Serenity.

One in the well worn seat in the cockpit.

One strapped to the outer hull.

And one dancing through the halls, whispering nonsense.

** *

Mal tried, damnit, he tried to get the pilot seat replaced. The Operative's men brought in new materials to fix the hole in the window, but couldn't find a new chair for that damned seat.

He stood in the cockpit with a wrench in one hand, staring down the thing like he's having a contest. He finally kneels and begins ripping it out by the roots when a small hand touches his shoulder.

'He's part of Serenity.' She says, eyes wide with understanding that he could never have. 'It all is.'

So he leaves the chair be, but he does manage to get those bloodstained covers off it.

***

The passengers start to get a mite tetchy when they hear about the ghost. Start to ask questions about the electrical zaps they get off the floor when they go near particular part of the cargo hold. Get to wondering about the computer screens that seem to know the crew by name and display specific messages when they walk past.

And sometimes, just sometimes, there's the voice that speaks over the ship wide intercom and orders the mechanic to "stop making out with Simon and fix that coolant leak in the engine room".

Somehow, the voice on the 'com's never fits any of the crew that come to dinner.

'Who is she?' some curious boy from Persephone asked over chow once. 'The girl who talked over the intercom today.'

Six of the people gathered around the table shared significant glances.

'She's my pilot.' Mal answered without hesitation, reaching over for the jug.

'I thought you were the pilot.' The boy said.

'Co-pilot, more like.' He replied.

'I've never seen her around,' the boy began.

'And you don't have to.' Mal interrupted. 'She keeps to herself and don't take too kindly to people getting all inquisitive. You'll drop the matter and not touch it again, dong ma?'

The boy swallowed and nodded.

Later that night, Mal was unhooking his suspenders and washing his face in his bunk.

'You didn't have to be so mean, you know.' A voice told him.

He sat on the bed and tugged off his boots.

'Yes, I did, darlin'. I most certainly did.'

***

Serenity's home to them all, much more than a ranch or a Guild or a hospital ever could. It was all home to them for different reasons.

To Mal, she was life, and freedom, and every reason for living he could think of wrapped up in one rusted hull.

She's Kaylee's best friend, more ways than one, the jumbled wire and power couplings more familiar to her than a care-worn face.

To Zoe, she's home, a place to live and stay without worrying about laws and making a living.

She's not what Inara needed, but everything she wanted.

She's everything Jayne needs, a bed with food and a warm gun at his side. Plus he gets something resembling friends, something he's never had before.

She's nothing Simon was expecting, but holds everything he loves.

Once you've been in Serenity, you never leave. You just learn to live there

That's why her plan was perfect.

***

So apparently, having your brain cut up aint exactly good for your health. Or your life expectancy for that matter. Physically, yeah, picture of health. Sure, mentally was a bit shaky right now, but better than it's been in recent memory.

Then things started slipping. Collapsing in hallways, mispronouncing words, motor control. The mind was fine and the body was healthy, they just had problems linking up sometimes. She could feel it coming, knew it was coming, even if the others denied it.

She spent hours in the engine room or cockpit, just staring at the controls or touching the wires.

'She's sanein' up.' Jayne commented. 'Could be that Miranda helped.'

Simon sighed. 'We'll see.'

So, quietening down don't exactly mean getting stable.

***

There's something no quite right about Malcolm Reynolds and his crew. Something in the way that they're all fiercely protective of their ship, just as if she was one of their own.

Every captain loves his boat; it's just odd the way the crew sometimes talk aloud to an empty room, like they've got to confess something to the steel framed hull.

The medic who keeps laughing at a joke no one's told.

And it's unnatural the way the cargo bay doors open to the crew and only to the crew.

And it's chilling the way the flight controls are covered in a fine layer of dust, like no one's touched them for months.

***

So she melted, melted away, they didn't know she could do that, but she did.

They found her in the cockpit chair, hands on the controls with her head lolled forward. It's unfair how that's the second time it's happened. No one could tell what made the heart stop beating, only that Simon couldn't perform an autopsy with her calm, still face on his table.

The shepherd once said that we do all have different reactions to death.

Simon roared and howled, his entire life's mission, every waking moment spent protecting her and now he had nothing. Just hours short of finding out, he stumbled blind drunk into the dining area where Mal, Zoe and Inara were gathered around the table, laughing hysterically at a story told too long ago to still seem funny.

He slotted right in and began another tale about how his sister got in trouble for calling her teacher a hen boo-tee-tyeh duh nan-shung and writing base eight math all over the books.

They broke off into peals of loud laughter, and then another giggling voice made them all stand, weapons drawn and aimed at nothing.

In the deafening, heavy silence that followed, Mal muttered, 'Am I dreaming?'

'We all are. You can make faces now.'

***

Yeah, they gave up on the passengers idea pretty quickly. Too much hassle and cost for people who, lets face it, usually couldn't pay their way. Besides, Serenity was getting bored.

'Mighty fine ship you've got there.' Laio said, tipping his hat as the exchange took place.

Mal took an unconscious glance over his shoulder at her.

'Yep. She's a beauty.' He answered, passing the coins to Jayne to be counted.

'They don't make them like they used to, I tell you.' Laio continued. 'I've had my eye on a Firefly for a long time. How's she run?'

'Like a dream.' Kaylee answered.

'You're the mechanic, right?' Laio said. 'What's it take to fix her up?'

Kaylee shared a look with her husband before replying.

'She mostly takes care of herself. She just talks to me and tells me what's wrong.'

Laio turned back to the captain.

'I'll give you 500,000 platinum for her.'

Mal did a double take. 'What? I'm not selling her.'

'Come on, Mal.' He smiled. 'It's already more than she's worth.'

'I'm telling you. She's not for sale.'

'Everything's got a price. I'll be willing to go to 550.'

Guns were drawn and Mal stared along his barrel at the man.

'It's possible you're not hearing us right.' He took a step closer. 'Serenity's not getting sold. Not now, not ever.'

***

Sometimes Mal just sits up in the cockpit and watches as the stars go past. It aint right, being in his bunk when he knows the sleeping arrangements are all wrong. Inara's staying on Thoth for a "prolonged engagement", which just hurts him to the core. Simon and Kaylee are in the double bed now, Mal long ago said ship board romances weren't right unless it was marriage, so they had the wedding planet side where Kaylee grew up. River was the maid of honour and Mal walked Kaylee down the aisle. It was the first time since Miranda that everyone felt truly happy.

So, in Mal's mind, the wrong married couple are in the bigger bunk, and no matter how hard he blocks it, there's just not enough people on board to make up for the emptiness.

Which brings him to the cockpit, almost every night. The humming's constant and the company's good.

'You'd like it here.'

Mal sits back in the seat further, staring at the stars.

'You'd like it in the Black.'

'Not very welcoming for a human like me, now, is it?'

'It's freeing. No gravity, no boundaries. No law. Just you and the distance and nothing in between.'

Mal sighs again.

'You're lucky, darlin'. Most would die for a position like that.'

'You're right. Most would.'

***

Only on very rare occasions have they ever had to use River's unique situation in a job. But she always relished the opportunity.

'They're demanding to board, captain.' Zoe yelled.

Mal stared at the cargo bay doors. 'Everybody settle down.'

'Kaylee, I need your help.' The familiar disembodied voice said.

'River, I've got no time for your games.' Mal warned.

'This isn't a game.'

'And that's not some petty middle man. His having knowledge about you aint exactly settling for my peace of mind.'

'I have a plan. I want to do this. Just try and stop me.'

One computer link and a docking procedure later, and the strike team from the other ship were ready to board.

'Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink.'

All on board froze.

'We're not welcome here. We should leave.'

'Who the hell is that?' the captain demanded.

River giggled, echoing through the brand new ship.

'Captain Miller, just a sad little boy who never learned to share.'

'I'm not playing any games, girl, who are you and what are you doing in my ship?'

'In your ship? Your ship?' River became enraged. 'You think you can cheat my family out of me and take me for yourself? A game of Tall Cards shouldn't be able to do that.'

There was a long pause as the captain swallowed nervously.

'I've put up with enough of your actions in the past, but enough is enough. Serenity is my sister and you will not put her and her crew through what you've done to me. We're not welcome, and if you don't leave them now, Captain Miller, I will become your own personal hell.'

The cargo bay seals itself and Serenity is ejected from the system of the other ship, left floating aimlessly until she gets a grip on herself.

'All's fine, captain.' Comes the cheery report.

Simon smiles, secretly impressed.

He knows the rest are too.

***

The words Aunt Serenity were never meant to be used together.

And no matter how hard she tries, how many times she seals the doors to the engine room and cockpit whenever Derek's around, somehow the troubling toddler manages to find himself in some kind of danger or another.

Gorram kid is a pain in the ass.

They all knew a transport ship like Serenity was just too dangerous for Derek to be. Simon and Kaylee argued and argued, until they weren't sure which side they were fighting for.

They could never leave Serenity. You never do. You learn to live there.

Aint many who chose this life who weren't born to it. And when Derek starts to talk and imagine, he dreams of valleys and horses and working on a farm.

As a family, Mr and Mrs Tam couldn't make the choice.

As a ship, River could make it for them.

The cargo bay doors didn't open for them one day. They stayed sealed shut as the rest of the crew got settled in, unaware that they were three people short.

Serenity took off, leaving them behind to raise a family, but knowing the doors were always open for them to come back.

***

Once you've been in Serenity, you never leave. You just learn to live there.

That's a load of crap.

One by one, everyone started to leave. Simon and Kaylee left with Derek, only visiting once in a blue moon. Jayne saved up enough money to buy his own ship, but he went through hell when he joked to River that he had found someone else. Zoe died on a mission, got hit by an explosion they should have seen coming. Inara left to train others in the Guild, with a weak excuse that business was too slow on Serenity and a heated glance in Mal's direction.

So here he is, the last one left. Once he tried to find a new crew, but the first he found was a mechanic called Jon, but that didn't work out.

Jon asked too many questions about who piloted the boat.

And it didn't help that he got electrical zaps off of everything either.

So Jon lasted about a day before he was kicked off Serenity. Turns out the door did hit his ass on the way out.

River likes being ironical.

***

Crap gives out in the end.

A Firefly will run forever if you got a mechanic even half awake. Truth is, they've got no mechanic, and the systems are already overstretched as it is.

Super-intelligent consciousness will do that to a computer.

Her control on Serenity is beginning to slip. A broken motor here, a failed and restarted takeoff there. Mal notices every hiccough and tries not to draw connections to his own failing, human body.

They settle down to visit Simon and Kaylee and their horde of four kids one trip and don't get back up. The engine's got a little too much rust and not enough maintenance to keep her running. Kaylee pours hour after hour into her until a soft voice tells her to go home. It's okay.

Mal doesn't get that kind of attention. His hair is thinning and he's getting weaker, day after day.

The Captain always goes down with the ship.

***

He dragged himself up to her on that final day. His bones ached and his eyes were milky and he's the last one left.

Her halls are empty and the engine's still. He feels like the only sign of life left in the old bird is the blinking lights in the cockpit.

He settles into the worn chair, the seat that had seen far too many deaths and would see one more before the day was out.

'You still here, little albatross?' he asks, his voice is hoarse and when did it get to sound so old?

'Always.' Came the faithful reply.

'We had a good run, didn't we?'

'You're a good man, captain. You take care of me. Of all of us.'

'I just played my part.'

Mal wheezed and settled himself in comfortably.

'You never let me down, girl.'

'You never gave me a reason to.'

'I just want one last favour.'

A pause through the ship, as still as the engine itself.

He smiles through the window and up into the sky.

'Take me to the stars.'

***

Do you know what the first rule of flying is?

Love.

You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds.

And love keeps her in the air when she oughtta fall down.

Tells you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens.

Makes her a home.

Keeps you a family.

I just couldn't leave Objects in Space alone, now could I?

YAY! Firefly! I was rewatching the pilot and realised I never uploaded this fic.

Quite possibly my favourite fanfic I've ever written. I love Mal's little exchange with River through the whole thing.

But, Firefly is easily the hardest fandom to write for, because it's got such a unique voice. Tell me what you thought!