randomplaces | oldMal's Serenity. The galley.

Sam wandered into the galley with his hair standing on end and his eyes slightly out of focus. One hand clutched his yellow stuffed kitten, while the other tugged absently at the edge of his browncoat. He paused to give Iroh a rather confused look, then turned away and flopped into the chair at the end of the table.

Iroh smiled. "Good morning, Sam. Could I interest you in some breakfast?" He had coaxed the dragon meat Jayne had mysteriously appeared on the ship with a few days previous into many cuts, including something vaguely resembling bacon. His first experiment in turning dried protein into flour had gone off rather well and he'd also managed to make a bread-like substance that could probably serve as toast. So this morning's breakfast had the potential to be a bit more delicious than those previous.

"Snowing." The tall teen didn't look at him.

"Snowing?" Iroh looked around, wondering when and if they'd landed. "Outside?"

"All covered. All dead." Sam's voice was like a lost child's.

Iroh frowned slightly. He'd heard from the others about Sam's... precarious mental state, but he hadn't exactly been educated on how to deal with it.

"Who's dead?" he inquired, his voice still soft and jovial.

A trembling hand rose from the edge of the coat to rub the dark down on the boy's chin, then went down to join the other on the kitten. "Don't worry, Petey. Daddy's got you. Gonna be safe."

Iroh fell silent and just watched the tall teenager, completely unsure of what to do or say.

"He can't hear yeh, luv," said a soft voice from the door as the scent of the sea filled the room.

Iroh turned around and allowed himself a small smile at Violet's sudden presence. She had a way of appearing and reappearing that still startled him from time to time. "I gathered that."

The tall fae walked over to him, eyes the colour of her namesake resting on the boy. "Some blokes over on Tau Central got caught in the snow 'n started on th' Journey last night. It was time."

"Ah." He nodded. "It does happen."

"Part 'o bein' human." She absently wrapped an arm around his neck in her somewhat rough affection. "We best jes' leave 'im be fer now. I already tol' Jayne t' keep his arse outta here."

"Are you sure that's what's best?" Iroh looked around Violet at Sam. "He doesn't... doesn't seem like he should be left alone."

"'E ain't alone. We're right 'ere." She blinked and looked away from Sam with a sigh, slightly disturbed by the glow she could see around him.

"But... you said we should..." Iroh sighed.

"Leave 'em be. Watch 'em without botherin' 'im." She turned her head to watch as Zoe came in. "Mornin', mate. Gettin' t' Cap's ration?"

"You bet," Zoe said with an easy grin. "Smells delicious, by the way." She sidled over to the stove and began doling out a plate for Mal.

Iroh chuckled and waved his hand. "It is simply the quality ingredients you're smelling."

"Quality?" Violet frowned and looked over at the stove. "Ain' it that bean gunk?"

"Yes," said Iroh, "but we have real meat. For a change."

"Sammy brung home another steak, did 'e?" Violet nodded to Zoe as the woman carried two plates out of the room.

"I think so," Iroh said offhandedly, "but it was Jayne who showed up with it."

She looked down at him sharply, sensing some humor behind the words. "What're yeh hidin', luv?"

"Nothing," he said with a grin. "Apart from that it was a dragon, and that it had jewels all over it, and I gave the jewels to Abby to buy parts with."

"A dragon?" Her eyes went wide with surprise and alarm. "What sort?"

"I'm not sure." Iroh shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Aye! Some drakes're people." She turned toward Sam and started to see him looking back at her with a warm smile in his brown eyes.

"Not this one," he said. "Just a big mean cow with wings. We're not cannibals."

Iroh looked from Violet to Sam and back again. "That's ... something new to me."