simon_doctor | (no subject)

Finding Mal on the bridge is something of a common event, recently. Wash still spends the majority of his time here, but with Naomi now, Mal finds that sometimes the pilot's chair is blissfully available, and the captain places himself at the controls.

He swings the chair around when Simon steps up onto the bridge. "Wei, Doc."

Quietly: "You've heard?"

Word passes quickly in a group this size. And as the old joke goes, the only thing that travels faster than light is bad news.

"Shi a - while I was talkin' to your folks, actually."

That was an interesting experience.

"...I hadn't talked to Eddie in...I don't even know how long."

Simon shakes his head. "Neither had I. Not since...." He frowns. The conversation they'd had about River, after Miranda? That long? Surely not.

"I can't even remember. Months."

There's a pause.

In a consciously lighter tone: "Speaking of my parents."

In a subconsciously heavier one: "Yeah?"

"They've, ah ... they've asked me and Kaylee to a, a housewarming at their new place on Londinium."

Whatever Mal'd been expecting Simon to say next, it probably wasn't the phrase housewarming party, and it shows.

"Are you going?"

"I ... we'd like to."

A little hastily: "You wouldn't have to bring us there -- we could go through the bar."

He's not exactly asking for permission.

Mal's not exactly giving it, only because he's not sure he actually needs to.

"You'd have to - we don't have the fuel cells to go from here to Londinium without stoppin' somewhere. Plus we're still heading to Verbena, and I'd like to be able to leave there as quick as possible."

It's then Mal's hand moves, rotating at the wrist like he's trying to think of how to phrase what's coming next.

"I just am a little surprised is all."

"Surprised."

Simon's gone very still, leaning slightly against the doorframe.

Counting off on his fingers, "With the politicians and folk that'll likely be there, I can think of a number o' reasons that you might not want to make an appearance."

"Then there's the whole 'Verse's Most Eligible Bachelor' bit, which is partly why I assume Kaylee's goin'? Besides the whole fancy-party side of it."

"That's part of it, yes."

The fancy-party side of it ... doesn't seem to be as appealing to Kaylee as it might have once. Simon's fairly sure he knows why.

"The other people at the party -- they're going to be friends of my parents. Allies. It isn't ... well, it's not going to be comfortable exactly, but it won't be dangerous."

That's the part that Mal doesn't exactly follow, the 'uncomfortable but not dangerous'.

Politicians are always dangerous.

"River know you're goin'?"

So are old soldiers.

"We talked about it." Beat. "I said I'd have to speak to you first."

He's relaxing a little; not much, but a little. Since it seems clear that Mal wasn't using the word surprised in the sense of disappointed.

Mal wouldn't argue with that.

"Well," in a now that that's settled sort of tone, "Have fun...mingling. Whatever folk do at those things that I'll never understand the appeal of."

Fancy parties don't work well, for Mal.

"No swords."

"...I'll keep that in mind."

Beat.

"We should be home by ... early evening, I think, ship's time."

"Fine."

No edge to it, no sarcasm.

"...Be careful."