janus_74

Title: B is for Browncoat
Author: Tania
Rating: G
Characters: Kaylee, with a tiny bit of Mal/Inara
Summary: Reflections on working with some Browncoats.
Author's Note: The second of my Kaylee fics for the

letter_love challenge.

Kaylee didn't know they were Browncoats when she joined the crew. Didn't find out from the captain neither. Zoe told her some, but only after Wash let it slip that they was in the war together.

Browncoats were heroes in her town. It was a good thing her folks didn't know about the Cap'n when she left on Serenity. She could just imagine the fuss they woulda made.

She'd heard the stories as a kid, about the Independents fightin' for people like them. They were on the outer edge of the system, part of the Alliance but not yet all civilized. Each planet controlled themselves and Alliance wanted to change that. Or so she was told.

But that didn't quell the romantic notions she had of the glamour the central planets held.

She asked the captain about living in the core one day. And he told her to get any thought out of her head that life was better there.

"Sure," he said. "You'll have fancy clothes and go to fine parties. But there's always a price. Sometimes it's upfront where you can see it. Know it's coming. But other times you never know 'till it's too late."

She often wondered what price was so high, made the cap'n pick up arms and go to war. Probably a girl, she thought. She even went as far to imagine that him and Inara knew each other from long ago, and were torn apart by the life they lead. Then they found each other again after she left Sihnon and they'd been keepin' it a secret from the crew ever since.

Sometimes the romantic notions where hard to keep at bay.

Maybe one day she'll get the nerve to ask Wash to ask Zoe about it.

But not today.

Today she was sure Serenity would need to go at a moment's notice. They were just awaitn' the call from the captain. It was bound to come.

Always had before.

"Wash," The captain's voice broke over the radio. "We got some local colour happening."

Today was Unification Day.

The End

Other fic and the main list can be found here
Thanks to

kashmir1 for looking this over.