oldMal's Serenity. Good bye ((written with teh_rest))

[random_xtras]

Violet walked into the kitchen and paused to watch as Zoe and Iroh abused Jayne, a smirk on her face. Then she walked over and leaned on the counter beside him. "Hey, old man."

The greeting was affectionate, but held non of the usual playful flirting. She sounded distant, as though her mind were far away.

Iroh smiled in return. "Hello," he said. "I can't help but think that you're going to tell me something terrible and tragic."

The violet-haired woman blinked, then shook her head. "Nuthin' like that. I just...." She looked down and wrestled a bit with geisse, then cleared her throat. "Set me free, mate. I gotta go."

"Set you free?" Iroh likewise blinked. "I wasn't aware that I had you bound." He placed the bowl containing his embryonic yet passable cake-batter down on the counter and wiped the flour from his hands with his apron.

She flushed. "That kiss back in the Cafe. Right now I'm yer guardian. But if you say it's off I'm free." Another look away. "I'm sorry."

He stared at her with regret in his eyes. "No, it's okay... You can go wherever you need to go, Vi. You sure don't need my permission to do it."

Violet shivered as she felt herself adrift again, the steady look that her eyes had held since coming to Serenity being replaced by a fae light. "If yeh ever need me, just call. I'll hear yeh 'n come. I promise."

"Alright," he said softly, still watching her and feeling amazed by what she could do.

She cleared her throat, then suddenly gave him one of her familiar choking glomps. "Take care'o Sammy, luv. He's important."

There was a sudden sigh of seabreeze and she was gone, leaving a tiny purple flower in her wake.

Iroh blinked and reached down to pluck the flower from the floor with his flour-stained fingers. He spent a few moments just staring at it.

Jayne chuckled from the table. "Even the charmin' old man gets stood up."

"Jayne!" Zoe sounded indignant and took a swipe at her crewmate.

Iroh didn't really hear any of it. All he could hear was sea breeze as he looked at the flower.