Author: Tinadoll (aka Tina- That’s me!)

Setting: After BDM.

Rating: R to NC-17.

Spoilers: Yes.

Author’s note: This is a new chapter. Don’t remember if this chapter was Beta’d or not. I try to do the best I can editing by myself but you can do nice by just ignoring all the mistakes.

The last chapter : http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=18876

Chapter 18- And we know how well the last Shindig turned out… Maria applied the pancake makeup rather carefully as not to over layer it. Her white face hid all her features and made her look like a ghost. But she was a ghost. She applied the red very carefully and the look was striking. She looked like a rich core woman. When she was carefully cleaning her hands when a knock came at the door.

“Come in,” she said, drying them with a towel. In walked Inara, dressed to impress. Her dark blue Sari glistened and she sat on the bed.

“Here are your passes,” she said, putting the passes on the bed.

Maria turned around. Her entire body was a pale white and she was wearing an elegant Black and Red number. Her dark brown hair was down at the moment and but she was going to put it up. Around her neck was a black and red leather collar, which was the height of fashion.

“You look lovely,” Inara said as she motioned to leave, “Good luck.”

“Thank you,” Maria said simply as fixed her hair. She had decided to leave it down. She had always liked it down.

After about another hour of prep, she left her room and headed for the cargo bay, where she saw Kaylee standing by the Captain. He stared for a quick moment but then looked away. Kaylee let out a slow whistle.

“You look nice,” he said, but then quickly coughed as to stifle a laugh.

She saw Zoë sitting on the stairs looking tense but then she covered her mouth, as to prevent from laughing as well.

“Oh God,” Simon mumbled. River just laughed out right.

Maria was about to flip her lid but the she turned around and saw a sight to behold.

There stood on the landing, Jayne Cobb, mercenary for hire. He was wearing a Grey shirt that was so tight it formfitted to his massive chest and tight military-type black pants. Even tighter then the ones that Mal would usually wear. The point of the outfit was to look like Alliance, without actually being Alliance. The rich never notice anything around them. If they saw black and grey, it wouldn’t be conspicuous. What was the source of the fuss was that he looked very dignified and menacing. His goatee had been shaven off and he was wearing his sunglasses. Cradled in his arms was his trusty gun, Vera. And on top of all that- he was clean and smelled …nice.

Even she let out a hearty laugh.

"Well there's somthin'. Jayne smellin' nice!" Mal said and had to try his best to keep from losing all composure.

Only person who didn;t think it was funny-was Jayne.

“Let’s get this over with,” Jayne said with a grimace and headed toward the second Shuttle.

The Captain gave her the instructions: She was going to need to make contact with a gentleman named “Ming” who had a large scar on his chin. He was the one who was to tell her where the cargo was. After that she was to rendezvous with Serenity and they would take the loot to wherever it needed to go. She understood and they left. *** They sat in silence. Every once in awhile she couldn’t help feel that his eyes were looking her way. She dared not turn around and kept piloting.

“I’m sorry,” she said simply.

“Don’t be sorry. Mal was the one that volunteered me, ain’t no use regrettin’ it now,” he said simply as he fidgeted in his seat. She looked over her shoulder and saw that he was touching his face. He looked back at her and she immediately turned around.

“I meant for throwing the knife at you,” she said as she returned to looking at the stars and pretending to focus on her task.

“Oh that,” he said and his voice trailed off.

The silence resumed and after a bit he finally said: “I’ve had worse,”

“I bet you had,” she asked and turned around to face him, again. “And what was her name?”

“Vera,” he said simply, “Broke my gorram heart. But I don’t know why I am telling you this,” he said angrily and got up and walked to the back of the shuttle.

Jayne was now sitting in the back staring out the window. She went to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

“Matt,” she said, sadly. “I think the guy who broke my heart was named Matt.” She shared this with him and no one else. He looked at her with his blue eyes, there was hurt and sadness. “But some one else broke me. And now I need to fix it. I don’t remember the name…”

She went back to her seat and concentrated on landing.

After they landed in the valet parking the entered the party. Jayne was about to make a stink when they asked him to check his weapon but after Maria gave him a dirty look, he bit his lip. They were there on a job not because they wanted to get down with their bad selves.

Maria took a better position so she can scope out the area, and Jayne stood behind her. She saw the Old Russian gentleman whom was present at her elimination but he didn’t seem to notice her. His name was Niska, she remembered. Jayne recognized him and stepped behind a pillar as not to get recognized.

“Steady..” she said under her breathe coaxing Jayne back into his position. She grabbed champagne off a tray and proceeded to see if this “Ming” character had arrived.

A gaggle of core woman came up to Maria, one tall blond, who seemed to be the leader, spoke to her.

“Well I have never seen you before, your outfit seems to be up to par with fashion, but who are you?” she said, crossing her arms with all her friends’ gaggling like hens behind her.

“I am not from here; therefore you will not recognize me. I do not answer to you, so therefore our conversation is over,” she said as she motioned to Jayne to move along.

The hens clucked and the main one stood with her mouth agape. After all she wasn’t here to make friends but to be the most beautiful and intriguing woman in the room. A lot of men were now staring at her.

She walked across the room-with Jayne trailing behind her.

A very handsome blond man in a soldier’s uniform came over and introduced himself and kissed her on the hand regally.

“A charm to see a lovely specimen of a woman putting Senator Julian’s daughter Rose in her place,” said Captain Bruce McGovern.

“I detest nosy gossipers, people should stay out of other peoples business,” she sniffed, nose upturned-like a real blue blood. She meant to be ironic because she was also making a statement about the Alliance.

“Here-here dear lady,” he said fawning on her. He didn’t get the joke.

The ensuing conversation they had was boring and not worth mentioning. Typical core crap. Jayne tried desperately from falling asleep by surveying the room. Ming had not shown up yet but several Councilmen had. One looked cold and refined. And familiar. He pushed up on his glasses and his grey eyes shown esteem and heralded an importance to him. Jayne tapped Maria who was looking over her shoulder mesmerized at the new arrivals. Inara arrived arm in arm with the important one. She gave a curt not to Maria who did the same.

“Friends of yours?” McGovern asked.

“Not really,” she said trying to remember where she had seen the important guy from. She didn’t want to blow her cover or get Inara in trouble.

McGovern waived him over. The man walked over (with Inara in tow) and greeted him warmly but almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Maria-mainly her eye.

“May I introduce Councilman Herbert West,” Captain McGovern politely said “And this is,”

A flash of the chairman invaded her thoughts.

“Maria Therese de Jesus,” she said giving a small curtsey as she extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Dr… I mean Councilman,”

“Dr. West?” she thought. Did she mean Dr Death? The Dr who experimented and tortured her ? Or was rumored to…

He curtly nodded with high interest but said nothing. She tried to read him but he was unreadable. He hurried off Inara who gave her a look as she was ushered away.

“Sometimes men are turned off by a strong woman,” she cooed in his ear and suggestively stroked his chin. He smiled and devious smile and she could almost hear Jayne, growl.