A/N: And the hits just keep on comin' ... well, maybe not hits, as this chapter is a mite fluffy, but I promise there will be much more angst in the coming prompts, so have no fear!

Thanks again to Leiasky for the beta.

And thanks to everyone for your comments - it's really great to know people are reading and enjoying!

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11

Link to prompt table

*** The Right To Love - Chapter 12 (Prompts 73-75) ***

073. Secret

Kaylee awoke feeling unbelievably achy and more than a little exhausted, but she didn’t care. She had Simon back, he loved her and everything was as it should be. As she rolled over to lie back in his arms, she pouted when she noticed he wasn’t in bed with her. Looking around the room, she didn’t see him, but then heard the sound of someone in the bathroom.

Before she even had time to question him, Simon opened the door, his naked form causing her eyes to dance with mischief and he smiled at her with that swai grin. “Join me?” he asked, his own eyes sparkling.

Having a pretty good idea what exactly he had planned, Kaylee got out of bed, walking suggestively towards him and watching as his eyes swept up and down her body. Pulling herself tight to him, she asked demurely, “Join ya for what?”

Trying to keep his concentration as her body rubbed against his, Simon glanced over his shoulder and told her, “A bath.”

“Well then, why you even askin’?” she teased, moving past him to get in the water first and laughing as he joined her, some of the suds splashing onto the floor. They luxuriated for a long while, each one taking more than enough time to bathe the other, taking enough time to love each other, the connection of their bodies in the warm water even more electric and titillating than the night before.

After again finding themselves good and spent, they lazily made their way back to bed, collapsing into a heap of wet limbs and hair.

The next time Kaylee awoke, she was relieved to see Simon still asleep. He had delayed her plans for long enough and while she had no desire to leave his deliciously naked body, she knew that she had to get on with it.

Dressing hurriedly and as quietly as she could, she gave one last longing look to him before slipping out into the hall and finding River. “Is everythin’ ready?” she asked the girl, having a hard time keeping the excitement from her voice.

Nodding once, River said, “I did a good job.”

Kissing her cheek, Kaylee told her, “I’m sure you did, mei mei. Now do you got the letter?” River held up the piece of yellow paper and Kaylee nodded. “Okay, good and the map too, right?” River held up another piece of paper and this time Kaylee squealed, clapping her hands. “Oh, this is gonna be so shiny. He ain’t gonna know what hit ‘im.”

Squeezing her in a tight embrace, Kaylee picked up the overnight bag she’d packed and headed for the door. “Now, ‘member, don’t give ‘im that ‘til he asks where I am, dong ma?”

River nodded once and watched the girl go, at once happy for her and her brother and slightly repulsed. It was just weird to know she was helping her brother get laid – not that he really needed the help, but Kaylee had asked and so River had obliged. She figured it was the least she could do considering that it had been her tantrums and ill health that had kept Simon and Kaylee apart for so long.

She was drawing, coloring in the birds she’d made when she heard the door down the hall open and saw Simon walk by, calling, “Kaylee?”

Grinning, River said loud enough for him to hear. “I know something you don’t know.”

Taking a step backwards, Simon leaned against the door jamb and regarded her, even as she continued to focus on her work. “That’s not really a revelation, mei mei.”

She smiled wider, but refused to give any more away, knowing that his knowledge of her holding a secret would drive him to a big enough distraction. It always had.

After a minute, he sighed a bit, and entered the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. “All right, what do you know that I don’t?”

Sitting up on her haunches, River regarded him with a tilted head and answered evenly, “I know that the human head weighs eight pounds.” As Simon rolled his eyes, realizing he’d asked the wrong question, she continued to spout off facts and figures. “I know that the square root of one hundred and forty-four is twelve. That the shortest distance between point a and point b is not always a straight line.” Leaning towards him just as he was about to interject, she lowered her voice and confided, “I even know how the engine does that spinny thing.”

Groaning, Simon’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Looking to her, he muttered, “Brat.”

Nodding once, she said proudly, “Yup.”

Regarding her for a minute more, he asked, “You’re really not going to tell me are you?”

Shrugging lightly, she said, “Maybe it’s not my secret to tell.”

He stared at her for another moment and then his lips curled up into a knowing grin. “Kaylee,” he breathed, his eyes lighting with joy. River nodded once and then waited as he asked, “Where is she?”

Proud that he’d finally asked, she handed him the letter and watched as he read it quickly. Frowning a bit at her, he asked, “The map?”

Handing it to him, River kissed him on his cheek and got up to leave. “Have fun,” she told him, and then paused once more in the doorway. “And remember, Simon, don’t think. Just act.”

“I thought you said you were wrong before,” he teased, his own heart so filled with happiness he had to share it.

Rolling her eyes at him, she said, “You must be mistaken, because I am never wrong.” Turning on her heel she scurried away, watching from down the hall as he hurried out the back door of the house in search of Kaylee. With a bit of a contented sigh, River sat on the top stair and whispered, “I still know something you don’t know.”

***

It was late, but Mal and Inara were still awake. Wrapped in the naked embrace of one other, their heart rates were slowing from yet another round of passionate lovemaking that had left them both happily sated and more than content.

As Inara drew light circles along Mal’s chest, she felt his hand running through her curly hair, his fingers running past her scalp to ghost along her back before he started the motion all over again. Lying still for a few minutes more, Inara finally asked him, “Mal, why are we still here?”

Tipping his head to look down at her, even though he could only see her dark hair, he asked, “Why? You don’t like it here?”

Shaking her head, Inara flattened her hand on his chest and rested her chin against it. “No, I love it here. I’m just curious, that’s all. You don’t normally like to stay grounded for this long.”

With a sigh, Mal held her gaze and then looked up to the ceiling. “I don’t rightly know why I ain’t itchin’ to go. Kaylee’s folks been more than kind an’ I’m sure they’re tirin’ of havin’ Jayne eat ‘em outta house an’ home.” Inara giggled at the remark, remembering just that evening at dinner as the big man had packed away four helpings. Looking back to Inara, he asked her, “You really like it here?” As she nodded, he leaned down, bringing his mouth close to hers and whispered, “Well, I gotta secret. I do too,” before pressing their lips together.

After they’d parted, Inara still held his blue-eyed gaze, her stomach churning with anxiety and nerves. It was time to tell him, but her fear was getting the better of her. It was ridiculous, a Companion afraid of a man; it was almost unheard of, but Inara’s hesitation really had nothing to do with Mal and everything to do with herself. She had only ever told one other man that she’d loved him and it had ended in a mess she had almost not survived.

“Mal?” she asked, inching her body up his, a groan escaping his lips as he felt every warm inch of her against his side.

Opening his eyes to her slowly, he turned his head to gaze at her and asked lazily, “Yes, darlin’?”

“Since, we’re sharing secrets,” she began, pressing a few kisses to his cheeks and neck, and getting another guttural moan to reverberate through him. “I feel that maybe there’s one I need to share with you.”

“Uh huh.” He was barely aware of anything else except Inara’s hot lips on his skin, their soft, light touch easily driving him mad. He tightened the arm he had around her shoulders to pull her closer, wishing she would stop teasing him and bring her mouth to his so he could kiss her good and proper.

Inara pulled back from him just a bit and waited until he’d again focused his blue eyes on her. Placing a hand to his cheek, she told him softly, “I love you.”

As his eyes widened, Inara recoiled involuntarily, feeling her whole body tense as he reacted the way she had prayed he wouldn’t. Sitting up and grabbing the sheet to her chest, she shook her head slowly, trying to come up with an excuse for saying something so foolish and failing miserable. She’d only admitted it to him because she was fairly certain he’d return her feelings. Now, as he continued to stare at her with a bit of fear and a healthy dose of terror, she realized she’d been unbelievably wrong.

Trying to get out of bed, and get some distance on what had suddenly become a very uncomfortable situation, she was stopped by Mal’s strong hand around her wrist. He sat up with her even as she continued to try and pull away from him. “Let me go, Mal,” she said, trying to keep the panic from her voice and masking it with a bit of anger.

“No, ‘Nara,” Mal said, trying to pull her to his chest and failing miserably. Cradling her cheeks in his hands and stilling her thrashing, he held her gaze and asked her in a whisper, “Did you jus’ tell me you love me?”

Inara bit her lip, and dropping her eyes to the space between them, she murmured, “I tried not to, but I can’t help it, Mal. I love you.” As he again said nothing, Inara pulled out of his grasp and told him, “I’ll go.”

“What?” he asked, shaking his head hard to kick start his brain. “Go? Go where?”

Looking to him with shining eyes, Inara said, “Well, it’s obvious you don’t feel the same, and we can’t just be friends, Mal.” Lowering her voice again, she admitted, “I want more than that.”

Again silence from him and with a choked sob, Inara stood up shakily, the sheet wrapped tight around her. How could she have been so wrong? Trying to push her sadness away, she reached for some of her things, thinking that she could bunk with River at least for the night, when Mal’s strong arms encircled her waist.

Not having the will to fight, Inara sagged against him and murmured, “Let me go, Mal. Please.”

“Nope, sorry, darlin’, can’t do it,” he told her, dropping his lips to her neck and nipping at the skin there.

Leaning her head back against his shoulder even though she knew she should leave while she still could, she panted, “Why?”

“’Cause there’s one other secret I ain’t quite shared yet,” he said, his breath hot against her cheek. Turning her in his arms, she faced him, letting the sheet fall away so that bare flesh pressed against bare flesh, raising the temperature in the room about ten degrees. Holding her face in his hands, Mal outlined her forehead and cheeks, her nose and mouth and chin with his work-roughened hands and then leaned down to place the gentlest of kisses to her mouth. When he pulled back from her again, he whispered, “I love you, too. That’s my secret.”

Blinking her eyes open rapidly, Inara held his gaze, her brown eyes studying his blue intensely, looking for the lie, the game and realized there wasn’t one; he was telling her the truth. Winding her arms around his neck, Inara kissed him again, more passionately this time and Mal ran his hands down her back, lifting her against him and taking her back to bed.

***

I’ve got a secret, only for you. I’ve got a secret, too good to be true.

Follow the path and you’ll find me, Standing in the shade of the big oak tree.

Simon had read the letter a half a dozen times and studied the map Kaylee had meticulously drawn as he headed out of the house and into the approaching dusk. Getting his bearings, it only took him a minute to find the path she was referring to and with a wide grin on his features, a bit of anxiousness in his gut and a whole lot of love in his heart, he hurried along.

In a few minutes, he rounded a corner, passing a big boulder and saw her, standing as she had promised, under the large leaves and branches of an oak tree. Her smile was as bright as any sun and shone like a beacon to him as night descended. Rushing towards her, Simon grabbed her around the waist, spinning her around and laughing as she let out a little yelp of delight.

Setting her back on her feet, he kissed her before she could say a word and Kaylee let him, her arms around his neck, her mouth just as eager for his, even though they had only taken that amazing bath maybe a handful of hours ago. As they parted, Kaylee rested her forehead against Simon’s and breathed, “Wow, I should draw you maps more often.”

He chuckled, his hands running down her cheeks, holding her tight as the night wind picked up around them and caused a chill to run down her spine. “Not that I don’t love finding you,” he teased as her head came to rest on his chest. “But what are we doing out here?”

As she smiled at him adoringly, Simon’s heart skipped a beat and he kissed her again, just because he wanted to. When they’d parted, Kaylee wrapped her hand in his and pulled him towards the tree, taking a lantern from a short and low branch where she had placed it. Lighting it expertly, Kaylee again reached for his hand, leaning in to him and whispering, “I gotta a secret to tell ya.”

With an even wider grin on his face, Simon followed the length of her arm as she lifted the lantern towards the trunk and saw the letters S.T. and K.F carved in a giant heart there. Simon had heard of people doing this before, had even read about it in books, but he’d never actually seen it, and it touched his heart in a beautiful way he hadn’t expected. Reaching up a hand, he outlined the letters and then allowed his gaze to drop down the trunk, noticing something else in the bark.

Placing his hand over hers, he lowered the lantern and the other letters, other initials, also matched with K.F. came into focus. With a wry grin, Simon turned to confront Kaylee’s sheepish blush and asked, “So, what’s the secret? That I’m not the first boy you ever brought out here?”

Swatting at him playfully, Kaylee defended herself. “I put yours up highest and in the biggest, nicest heart.” Even as he smiled to her to let her know it was all right, she wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into his cheek, whispering, “Besides, that ain’t the secret.”

Looking to her quizzically, Kaylee moved them around the tree a few steps and taking a deep breath, she again raised the lantern so Simon could see the other words she had carved there just an hour or so before.

Simon’s eyes widened at the sight, his breath hitching in his throat. Turning to look at her with a dumfounded expression on his face, he felt his voice leave him as he again turned back to regard her writing. As he had with their initials, he found his hand tracing each letter. Struggling to regain his voice, he read them again:

Simon Tam, I wanna be your wife. Will you be my husband?

Kaylee bit her lip, trying not to panic as the minutes stretched on and Simon said nothing. Deciding to see if she could prompt him a bit, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered in his ear, “That’s the secret.”

Still staring in disbelief, a part of Simon’s overly bright brain told him he’d better talk soon and he’d better say the right thing or he was going to ruin this amazing moment in a spectacular fashion. Turning Kaylee to face him, Simon took the lantern from her and set it on the ground at their feet, before cradling her face in his hands. As he stared, Kaylee felt more nervous and taking another step towards him, she murmured, “Well, what’d ya say? You wanna be my husband?”

Smiling at her, Simon told her softly, “Every day for the rest of my life.”

Her own smile lighting her face, Kaylee breathed, “Is that a yes?”

“That’s a yes, bao bei,” he told her, delighting as she squealed and wrapped her arms around him dusting kisses over his face and in his hair.

Simon met her excitement for a few minutes, before pulling her back from him and kissing her properly. Their bodies melded into each other like the perfect fit they were and Simon again felt his need for her, despite a slight soreness from the past two days.

Breaking away from her with difficulty, Simon grabbed for her hand and said, “Come on, I think we need to celebrate.”

Wiggling her eyebrows to him mischievously, Kaylee tugged him in the other direction, reaching for the lantern as she said, “Oh, we will, sweetie. Just not at the house.”

Curious, Simon followed her willingly, his faith unflappable as Kaylee’s last surprise had made him the happiest man alive.

074. Truth

Following Kaylee down the rough and uneven path, Simon almost pitched forward onto his face a half a dozen times. But he didn’t care; the woman of his dreams had just asked him to be her husband and he’d said yes. The rest of the ‘verse could explode and Simon would still feel gloriously happy.

Heading into a clearing, Simon took in the sight of a small one room cottage, lights glowing from within and the small curl of smoke puffing out of a short chimney. Looking to him, Kaylee only smiled wider at his dismay and pulled him along, bringing him inside. Shutting the door behind him, she pushed him roughly against it, her tongue delving into his mouth as her hips rolled against his suggestively.

Simon returned her fervent kisses, his hands cupping her backside and tightening her to him. As she pulled her mouth from his and placed kisses on his neck, working at the top buttons of his shirt, Simon asked her, “Kaylee, where are we?”

Tearing her lips away from his warm skin with difficulty, Kaylee glanced over her shoulder at the little room and said, “Oh, it’s been in my family for a couple o’ generations now. My great great granddaddy couldn’t afford to take his wife on a honeymoon, so his family built ‘em this place. Ever since then all the Fryes’ been usin’ it.”

As she turned back to grin at him, still working at his buttons, Simon dropped his hands to her shoulders and asked, “So it’s a honeymoon cottage?”

“Mmm hmm,” she murmured against his skin, her lips kissing the top of his chest.

“That’s a little premature, don’t you think?” he teased, his eyes closing as her mouth on his skin caused a pleasurable ripple to course through him.

With gleaming eyes she looked back up to him and said, “It ain’t like we ain’t been practicin’.”

Chuckling at her, Simon again brought his hands to rest on her cheeks and told her, “I love you, Kaylee, so much.”

As he brought his mouth to hers to again kiss her, Kaylee murmured against his lips, “Simon?” Leaning back to look at her, he invited her comment, and she told him, “You think too much.”

Chuckling again, Simon stopped talking, stopped thinking and started doing.

***

She was everywhere and everything to him and Simon could not think of a better moment. They lay in each other’s arms, Kaylee’s head on his chest, as they stared at the fire roaring in the hearth. Looking down to her flushed cheeks, Simon smiled as the orange and yellow of the flames lit her face, causing it to glow even more spectacularly than normal. His fingers playing absentmindedly with her hair, he wasn’t sure how long they lay like that until she asked, “Simon?”

“Yes, bao bei?” he answered, leaning down to place a kiss to her forehead.

Turning her face up to his, Kaylee smiled wide at him even as her eyes fluttered closed for a moment. She was unbelievably relaxed and again exhausted, but she wanted to stay awake for as long as possible. She didn’t want this night to end. “What’d ya think? When you saw the tree?”

Smiling wider, Simon lowered his voice and told her, “That you’d had quite a few boyfriends.”

Giggling at him, she rolled her eyes playfully and said, “No, not that. When you saw the proposal?”

Furrowing his brow slightly, Simon studied her quizzical gaze and then sighed. “The truth?” he asked her, not at all surprised when she nodded her head eagerly. “I was a little disappointed.”

Leaning back from him abruptly, Simon saw the hurt flash across her face and he silently kicked himself. “Disappointed? Then why’d ya say yes?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

Sitting up with her, Simon ran his hands down her bare arms and then said, “You didn’t let me finish. I was disappointed that you beat me to it.”

Biting her lip, Kaylee asked him, “You mean, you was gonna ask me?”

Kissing her lightly, Simon told her, “Of course, I was. I wasn’t exactly sure when, but with everything that’s happened …” Simon let the statement go as Kaylee’s eyes darkened, and instead pulled her to his chest, lying back with her. “But I’ve known for a pretty long time I wanted you to be my wife.”

Sighing, Kaylee felt sleep coming for her and she knew she’d be out soon. “Oh yeah? How long?” She tried to suppress the yawn she felt, but it shook her a bit and Simon just pulled her closer.

Dropping another kiss into her hair, he murmured to her, “Since you asked me to dance.”

Not having the energy to raise her head, she questioned softly, “I don’t ever ‘member askin’ you t’dance.” Tightening her arms around him, she murmured, “’Cept the other night.”

“Well, I do,” he told her, shifting down under the covers more. “And that was the minute I knew.”

“Knew what?” her eyes drifting closed and her body relaxing full against his. The past weeks of anxious worry and the past few nights of almost non-stop lovemaking were making it impossible for Kaylee to fight off sleep, even though she desperately wanted to hear more.

“That I was going to fall in love with you.”

He was uncertain whether or not she heard him as he felt her breathing even out and sleep take her. He was soon to follow.

075. Lie

Awaking quickly, Kaylee tried to get her eyes to adjust to the darkened room and tried to remember where exactly she was. Blinking rapidly, she felt Simon’s warm presence lying beside her and with a soft exhalation, the night’s events came back to her and she felt her body relax a bit.

Shivering, she rolled over on her side to look at him, and reached a gentle hand out to his face. The fire had died down, but he was more than warm enough and she had packed extra blankets. So, why couldn’t she get warm?

Snuggling into him, she nudged him a bit too sharply and he awoke with a grunt, looking to her. “You okay?” he murmured, bringing his arms around her.

Trying to forget the nightmare that had stirred her from sleep in the first place, she lied and said, “Jus’ a bit cold is all.”

“Well, I can fix that,” he said, his voice low, as he pulled the warm blankets over them, and wrapped his strong arms around her. Trying to still her body from shaking, Kaylee waited until Simon had again drifted off before allowing a few of the tears she’d felt in her eyes fall down her face.

She was so cold and she didn’t know why. Simon’s body heat was more than enough to keep her warm, it always had been before. True, the cottage wasn’t necessarily the height of construction, but Kaylee knew simple temperature could not account for the chills that coursed through her.

It had something to do with that nightmare she didn’t want to remember. She hadn’t had any dreams or nightmares for about a week now and she had been enjoying the blissfulness of a good night’s rest. Now, as she felt her teeth chattering she wondered why, on a night like the one she’d just had, where everything was going so unbelievably well, she should be haunted again.

Burying her head into Simon’s chest and doing her best to get warm, Kaylee found herself lying awake for a good long while before she could fall back to sleep.

***

So, what'd ya think? Chapter 13