A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been reading and commenting! It means a lot to know you like my stuff! There's more where this came from!

On light feet, Kaylee tiptoed up to Simon’s turned back, clasping her hands over his eyes and drawing him back against her. “Guess who?” she whispered hotly into his ear as she pressed her body even more firmly against his.

“Hmm, I wonder …” Simon teased, trying to ignore the immediate response of his body to Kaylee’s touch. Playfully, he said, “Zoe.”

With a sound of mock indignation, Kaylee released him, taking a step back and crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m offended,” she pouted, giving him a sultry look the minute he turned to face her.

Moving forward swiftly, Simon’s arms encircled her waist as he buried his head into her neck, nipping softly at the skin there. “Oh no, I’ve offended you,” he murmured against her, his tone full of sarcasm. “However will I make it right?”

Tugging lightly on his hair so his face was level with hers, Kaylee whispered, “I can think of a couple o’ ways,” before pressing her lips to his and instantly reaching for the buttons on his shirt, undoing the first few as their tongues met and tangled.

Moaning against her, Simon backed her up into the nearest wall, pressing into her hard and smiling slyly as the motion caused Kaylee to whimper. They had just left their bed no more than an hour ago, after another amazing night of love making and petting, but it didn’t seem to matter. Simon had never before experienced the whole “can’t keep their hands off each other” phenomenon, but now that he was, he was greatly enjoying it.

Running his lips and tongue along her skin, he pulled one of his hands from behind her back, cupping her perfect breast in his hand through the light fabric of her shirt. With the pad of one thumb he brushed against her nipple not surprised when it hardened almost immediately from the attention. Kaylee tilted her head back, letting out a breathless moan as his mouth again closed over where her neck met her shoulder and sucked gently, but insistently. “Simon,” she managed to breathe out, her fingers still running through his hair, and down his chest. “We should get outta here.”

She had a point. They were in the infirmary and the entire crew was on board, the job they had planned not scheduled to begin for at least another hour. Simon and Kaylee had already made a pact to enjoy their alone time on the ship when the others left, but, per usual, they couldn’t wait.

With difficulty, Simon pulled away from her, keeping one arm around her and lifting her up. Kaylee’s legs immediately encircled his waist and he suppressed a loud moan at the feel of her thighs pressing against his already throbbing arousal. Even as he guided them from the room, Kaylee lowered her mouth back to his and kissed him, the fact that the two of them had done this before the only thing that kept them from falling and killing themselves on their short trip back to his bunk.

Barely through the door, Kaylee was back on her feet, her fingers working deftly at the rest of his shirt buttons as he slid the door shut and clicked the latch in place. Ever since River’s little announcement at her birthday party over a week and a half ago, Simon was much more conscience of his and Kaylee’s privacy.

With a firm grasp, Kaylee turned him back to fully face her, backing him against the closed screen, her head dipping to press open mouthed kisses to his now exposed torso. As his head rocked back and a small sigh escaped his lips, Simon tangled his hands into her unbelievably soft hair and pulled her against him, crushing his mouth over hers and refusing to let go.

Awkwardly, they made it to the bed and Simon gently laid Kaylee down, taking a moment to enjoy the look of desire and want in her deep, green eyes before again kissing her passionately and falling into the mattress with her.

Just as the crew was readying to go they heard first Kaylee’s excited cry and then Simon’s echo from the passenger dorms and into the cargo bay. With a grimace, River shot a nasty look to the open hatchway and muttered, “Sure, Simon, rub it in.”

---- ----

With only nicks and scrapes, the crew returned by sunset, Jayne and Mal sporting the worst of the injuries, per the norm. The sound of the mercenary’s booming whine and the captain’s annoyed voice roused Simon and Kaylee from their afterglow slumber. Rushing out of bed, Simon threw on his clothes, running a hand through his hair and brushing a quick kiss to Kaylee’s mouth before heading for the infirmary to treat whatever new battle wounds the others had returned with.

Sighing contentedly, Kaylee sank back into the mattress, stretching her arms up over her head, unable to keep the smile from her face. She and Simon had just spent an incredible five hours in bed together and while Kaylee felt the telltale ache, she would not trade anything for the deliciously warm feeling that accompanied it.

Simon loved her, he had finally said it. With a frown Kaylee realized ‘finally’ was probably too strong a word. It had only been two months since Miranda, and loving someone was a big step. Of course, Kaylee loved everyone, she simply loved Simon more, so she had told him within a few days of them being together. She had known it would make him a bit uncomfortable and she’d been right, but she’d also known that when he finally told her he felt the same it would feel amazing – and she’d been right again.

It wasn’t a throwaway declaration either; he hadn’t said it in the throes of passion, he’d said it after the fact. As he’d held her, like he always did, his hand running lightly down her back or through her hair, his cheek resting against the top of her head. And he’d just said it, hadn’t made a big production out of it, hadn’t stammered or tried to say something and messed it up as he was apt to do, he’d just let the words come and they washed over Kaylee like a warm rain.

With another contented sigh, she considered getting up to check on everyone, but guessed that if anything were truly wrong she would have heard a lot more bellyaching. Instead, she pulled the covers back over herself, turning her head into Simon’s pillow so she could inhale his scent and was soon fast asleep, one of her famous smiles plastered to her face.

---- ----

It was fairly late, just before everyone would be turning in when River made it to Inara’s shuttle. She stood outside the closed hatch, hand raised to knock, motionless. She had tried for the past two weeks to work up the courage to see the Companion, but every time River had found the pounding of her heart against her rib cage had been too loud or her mouth would grow dry or her brain would start to go fuzzy and she would slink away, back to her bunk or the bridge.

But not tonight; she was going to do it. She was going to march into Inara’s shuttle, sit with the woman and get answers to her questions. It was time.

Using this burst of resolve before it faded, River rapped her knuckles against the metal and then held her breath, praying Inara answered the door before she had time to retreat again. With a bit of relief and increased anxiety, River watched as the hatch slid away to reveal Inara, impeccably dressed and expertly coifed even given the late hour.

With a bit of a start, the older woman regarded her. “River, what a pleasant surprise. Did you need something?”

Unable to find her voice, River only nodded once, getting an even more confused expression from Inara. Reaching for her hand, the companion pulled the younger woman through the door, shutting it behind her. Once they were safely ensconced inside, Inara turned back to face her and asked softly, “Are you okay, sweetie?”

Nodding again, River searched the other woman’s warm gaze for a moment, again steeling herself for the coming discussion. She had guessed that out of all the people on board, Inara would be the most open, the most understanding and the most knowledgeable; and she knew she was right.

“Inara, I need your help,” River finally murmured, clearing her throat in an effort to strengthen her voice.

Noting her distress, Inara wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and guided the girl to her couch, sitting her down. “Of course, River, anything.”

Sitting in silence for a moment, River finally turned to face her, taking both of Inara’s hands in hers and said bluntly, “I need to learn about sex.”

Her eye widening with an initial burst of shock and then returning to normal, Inara asked carefully, “And you want me to teach you?”

“Who else?” she asked, frowning at her. “I tried to ask Simon, but he just gets all red and antsy and starts talking about birds and bees.” With a grim expression, she confided, “I need an expert.”

Suppressing the small chuckle that had risen to her lips in light of River’s obvious seriousness, Inara sat back against the couch and told her, “Well then, I will be more than happy to assist in any way.”

Releasing a big sigh of relief, River sat back as well, her mind reeling with all the questions she needed answers to. She had broken them down into categories: mechanics, emotions and dating. Sifting through them all was a daunting task, but with a clear objective and end result in mind, losing her virginity, River found she had a strong understanding of how to proceed.

“Well, I understand how the biology works,” she said, her big brown eyes again focused on Inara. “I know what goes where, but …” Frowning, she found her thoughts growing unfocused again. Frustrated that she couldn’t understand this, a few tears pooled in her eyes and she blinked quickly, trying to push them away.

Reading her discomfort, Inara sat forward and placed a hand over River’s. “Mei mei, it’s all right. This is a big thing you’re asking me about.” As the girl continued to struggle, Inara glanced around, her gaze landing on a small book shelf across the way. Rising she reached for a particular aged and dog-eared tome and brought it to River, placing it in her lap.

As the younger woman looked to her quizzically, Inara explained. “How about we start by flipping through this book and you can stop me when you have a question?”

River nodded hesitantly, opening the volume and scanning the pages in silence as Inara leaned over her shoulder. After twenty minutes of silence, River found a section related to one of her main concerns and pointed. “That. I need to know more about that.”

Studying the passage, Inara nodded and smiled. “Yes, it will hurt the first time, probably the first couple of times.” As River’s face blanched at this new information, Inara assured, “But it won’t hurt all the time, and it’s more uncomfortable than painful.” Squeezing River’s hands in her own, Inara told her, “It’s a completely new experience for your body and it takes some adjusting, that’s all.”

“What about men, like Jayne?” Inara’s shocked expression forced River to clarify. “No, not Jayne in particular, I mean men who are … bigger,” she finished. “Does it always fit?”

Smiling again, Inara answered, “Yes, although if your partner is very well-endowed the pain might linger a bit longer or you might feel it more acutely the following day. But yes, men and women are meant to fit.”

Nodding once, River took that answer in stride, having already accounted for the pain part. That was biology and River understood biology. She needed more than that; she needed a better understanding of the pleasure principle, of how to make the other person enjoy the act of sex with her.

And how to entice them to want to sleep with her – River was not well-versed in the art of seduction or flirting. Her formative teenage years had been spent in a government institution where the idea of fun was a Friday night bloodbath. So, besides needing help with the actual copulation, she needed lessons in how to find a partner.

Continuing to scan the book, River quickly skipped the sections covering male and female reproductive systems, although the bratty side of her wondered if maybe she shouldn’t prop the book open to this part in particular and leave it on her brother’s bed. But then as she read about contraception, she decided that was really what Simon needed a reminder about.

Noticing as her eyes lingered on a particular spot, Inara asked, “Do you have questions about birth control?”

Shaking her head, River said easily, “No. I was just thinking that-“ Stopping abruptly, she turned a sheepish grin to the woman and simply said, “No.”

Frowning at her, Inara wondered if maybe she should push the issue, but decided against it. “All right. But it’s very important to be sure you’re safe.”

“Tell me about it,” River muttered, drawing another look of confusion from Inara. Before the Companion could question her again, River was reminded of another question. “Orgasms,” she blurted, looking to her mentor with wide eyes. “Tell me about those.”

“Well,” the other woman said slowly, swallowing thickly; this was turning out to be a lot more difficult than she’d initially anticipated. “What do you want to know?”

“How do you have one and how do you cause one?” River asked, forgetting the book for a moment as she turned and focused all her attention to Inara.

“That’s a very complicated question, River,” Inara began. Pausing to collect her thoughts, she finally said, “People, especially women, don’t always orgasm during sex. Men typically do, but it’s never a guarantee for either party.”

“It is with my brother and Kaylee,” River retorted, rolling her eyes. “I know you’ve heard them.”

Hiding another smile, the woman nodded. “Yes, I have heard the both of them on occasion in what seem to be moments of unbridled passion.” With a fleeting thought to some of her own less than satisfying encounters, she muttered, “They are very lucky.”

“They are very horny,” River corrected, getting a chuckle to escape Inara’s lips. “So, how come it works for them, but not everyone?”

“It’s about more than the physicality,” Inara tried to explain. “It’s about emotions, being connected to the other person on a level that goes deeper than joining two bodies.”

As River’s look of puzzlement only increased, Inara tried a different tactic. “It’s about paying attention, observing the person your with, watching what pleases them.” Placing a hand to her face, Inara waited until River’s deep brown eyes were locked onto hers and told her, “You want a man who will be concerned about your needs, as much as you are concerned about his. If he is, if you both want the act to be pleasurable for each other, you’ll have nothing to worry about.”

Frowning, River supposed that was the best she would get. Inara hadn’t really answered her question, had artfully sidestepped it in fact, but there were some things, River knew she would just have to experience for herself.

“If I can even find a man,” she murmured bitterly, allowing her gaze to fall into her lap. Picking at the hem of her dress, she added, “It was never about me wanting to sleep with Jayne. It was about knowing that he was at least willing.”

“That’s true, mei mei,” Inara told her, brushing some of the hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. “But Jayne ‘wants’ to for reasons that have nothing to do with you.” As River refused to meet her gaze, Inara continued. “Jayne doesn’t appreciate you or the unique gifts that you offer, and trust me, River, in the end, that’s not what you want.”

Swallowing thickly, River knew Inara was right. Even more than just the inherent logic in her reasoning, she also knew, from her brother’s experience that waiting for that right person was incredibly important. But that didn’t change the fact that their lives, as Simon had pointed out, did not allow her the opportunity to meet many young men her age, to develop relationships with them, to experience things that she should be experiencing.

A sudden thought striking her, River looked excitedly to her friend and said, “Take me on a job.”

“What?” Inara asked, her eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to comprehend River’s statement.

Searching for the right word, River said, “A client. Pick out a client for me, someone nice and around my age and then take me there.”

“River,” Inara intoned, trying to reassure the woman. “Setting you up with someone is not going to be necessary. You will meet the right man someday.”

“Not on this tin can with Simon and Captain Daddy scowling over my shoulder.” River fell back against the couch with an exasperated sigh. “It’s no use, Inara,” she said, tilting her head back and staring at the ceiling. “I’m destined to die a virgin.”

Allowing the laugh she felt to rise forth, Inara patted the young woman’s knee gently and told her, “No, you’re not, cut that out.”

Inara watched as the younger woman struggled, her desire to experience the act of sex warring with her need to be loved. It was a battle the companion had some experience with, fairly personal experience at that. It was the battle she had been waging since she’d returned to Serenity after Miranda – since she had again been living on the same ship with Malcolm Reynolds.

“I don’t have a captain,” River bemoaned, turning her baleful eyes to Inara with a purely pathetic look. “Don’t have a Kaylee, don’t have a Wash.” With another heavy sigh River murmured, “Only have urges that I can’t get rid of.”

Refocusing her thoughts on the younger woman, Inara edged closer to her and said, “Well, River, there are other ways to satisfy those urges.” As the girl’s big brown eyes swung back to study her, Inara elaborated, “Not necessarily as fun as the usual way, but …” With a small smile on her lips as she watched River’s interest pique, she added, “It can definitely help.”

A sly grin working across her face, River sat forward and reached for Inara’s hand. “Teach me.”

---- ----

“… A week after the ball, the prince’s steward was ordered to visit all the homes in the kingdom, taking with him the forgotten shoe.” Simon’s steady, warm voice floated through Kaylee’s ears as he read to her. She was unbelievably content, curled up naked into his side after another round of lovemaking. Both of them needing the break, Simon had reached for the battered book, a tome of classic Earth-that-was fairy tales that he had brought on board and picked up where they had last left off. She was warm and happy and full of love for the man who held her now.

“As he was greeted by Lady Tremaine and her two awful daughters Anastasia and Drusilla-“

“Simon.” A thought Kaylee had been mulling over for the past few weeks demanded an answer, and so she interrupted him, sitting up slightly so she could look into his incredibly blue eyes.

Facing him, she saw the ghost of a smile on his face as he dropped the book back into his lap and reached out a hand to brush a stray hair behind her ear. “Yes bao bei?”

Her smiling deepening at his endearment, her heart flipped over again as she told him, “There’s somethin’ I kinda need to know.”

A bit of concern furrowing his handsome brow, Simon shifted to face her fully, inviting her to ask, so she did. “How come you don’t wanna tell me about her?”

His frown deepening, Simon asked her, “About who?”

“The girl you slept with? Your first time?” she explained, a cold fear gripping her heart at the harsh look and cold gaze that quickly took up residence on Simon’s face.

Dropping his head back against his pillow, Simon sighed heavily. “Why is it so important to you?” he asked, his voice soft, but tinged with a bit of pain that Kaylee heard loud and clear.

Shrugging lightly, she reached out a hand and ran it through his hair, getting him to again face her with a sad smile on his lips. “It ain’t important to me, not really, but I know somethin’ about it bugs ya, an’ …” She paused for a moment, uncertain of the best way to approach it. She didn’t want to anger him, the last thing Kaylee ever wanted was to be separated from Simon, but she did want him to trust her. “Well, you can tell me anythin’, you know that right?”

With a small nod, Simon smiled a bit wider and then gently drew her face towards his, brushing their lips together. Pulling back almost as quickly, Simon met her wide-eyed and trusting gaze. His thumb caressing along her smooth cheek, he marveled at how someone so perfect and loving could ever be attracted to someone as closed off and abrasive as him. It was a wonder.

Holding her gaze for a moment more, Simon finally cleared his throat and said softly, “There really isn’t much to tell.” As Kaylee settled back into his side, still gazing at him adoringly, he found his courage bolstered and continued. “I was sixteen, as my sister so conveniently explained.” Kaylee smiled a bit, sharing the joke and then continued to listen. “It was a girl at school, a girl I had literally grown up with. I was so head over heels for her.”

“What was her name?” Kaylee asked gently, getting a slightly surprised look for the question, but also getting him to answer.

“April.” Simon sighed heavily, a memory of April flashing to the surface; she had been the perfect example of a core-bred debutante, the exact type of girl Simon was supposed to have married and had children with by now. Thank God he’d escaped that fate.

As the silence dragged between them, Kaylee prompted, “So what happened?”

Shaking his head slightly and coming back to the present, Simon squeezed Kaylee’s warm form a bit tighter to his side and said, “She led me on for months, years even. I’d ask her out and she’d say no. She always had one boyfriend or another, the jocks in my school. I was the nerd and not very popular.”

“But you’re so swai,” Kaylee protested, getting an amused grin from him. “In my school, you would’ve been the bee’s knees.”

Pressing a kiss into her hair, Simon could only widen his smile and murmur, “I love you.”

Kaylee’s own grin grew so big it almost blinded him and with a small squeal of delight, she leaned forward, pressing her body against his and kissed him hard. They quickly became a tangle of limbs as the kiss deepened, relighting their previously spent passion. Gasping for air, they parted and Kaylee’s big smile turned into a devilish grin. “Am I a better kisser than April?”

Chuckling lightly, Simon stole another quick peck as he answered emphatically, “Most definitely.”

Sitting up a bit taller, Kaylee nodded her approval and said, “Good. Please proceed.”

“Well, I had worked up the courage to ask April out one more time, for the spring dance and she finally said yes.” With a roll of his eyes, Simon confided, “I was so nervous. The entire school, all the coolest kids were going to be there, and I was going to take April. This was a huge deal for me.”

“The night of the dance, I picked her up, and she was breathtaking. Dressed to the nines in all the finest silks that her parents’ money could buy.” Wondering how he had ever been impressed by such material concerns, Simon continued, not noticing the small look of sadness that lit Kaylee’s face for a second and then faded just as quickly. “We went to the dance and we had a great time. All night we were on our feet, dancing, laughing. Right before the last dance, I finally worked up the nerve to kiss her and she let me.” Simon couldn’t keep the slight sound of shock from his tone. “I really didn’t think she would. I had tried a few times before and April always managed to turn her cheek away right at the last second.”

“She was an idiot,” Kaylee breathed, more to herself than to Simon, but he heard her anyway and laughed. Studying him, Kaylee simply affirmed, “Well, she were. Not lettin’ you kiss her, that’s jus’ stupid.”

“Well, considering the fact that I am in love with you, I’m glad you think so,” Simon told her, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of her nose and getting a giggle from his bao bei in the process.

“So then what happened?” Kaylee asked, settling even closer to him.

“Well, April had been invited to one of her friend’s houses for an after party and she invited me to go. There was a lot of drinking which I did partake in as I was just getting more and more nervous. Before I was even really aware of what was happening, her and I ended up in someone’s bedroom.”

“Was it … nice?” Kaylee asked hesitantly, having begun to agree with Simon’s assessment from a few nights ago that this was a story she didn’t want to hear.

With a sarcastic smirk on his features, Simon asked her dryly, “The room or the sex?”

Frowning at him, Kaylee nudged him lightly in the side and he explained, “I honestly don’t remember much of it. All I remember is that a few hours later, I woke up and April was gone and when I went looking for her, one of her ex-boyfriends, a real idiot, slapped me on the back and said loudly, ‘Well, none of us thought April could do it, but apparently even the uptight Simon Tam can’t escape her wiles.’” With disgust, Simon shook his head, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

Looking back to Kaylee he said, “Apparently, there had been a few bets going around that April wouldn’t be able to bed me. And she decided to take the challenge.”

Her eyes again big and wide and this time full of sadness, Kaylee breathed, “Oh sweetie, that’s awful an’ it ain’t right.” Her anger rising as she thought of this brazen hussy who had messed with her man, Kaylee huffed, “That jian huo.” As Simon felt a smirk spreading on his face, he watched Kaylee get more irate. “I tell ya, if’n I ever saw that April girl, I’d like to-“

Simon swallowed the rest of Kaylee’s comment with a deep kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth with a ferocity she wasn’t totally prepared for. Moaning slightly against him, thoughts of any other woman quickly flew from her mind as she wrapped her arms around Simon’s neck, tangling her fingers in his hair and pulling herself flat against his bare chest.

Any memory of previous hurt was banished from Simon’s mind as Kaylee’s warm and soft body moved against his, her hardened nipples rubbing against his chest and causing a tendril of lust to snake down his spine. Moving his hands down her back, he rolled her on top of him, and Kaylee moaned again, this time deep and eager as she felt his growing arousal brush against her in this new position.

Breaking their kiss with an effort, Kaylee’s lips trailed down Simon’s chest, her tongue tracing around each defined muscle before she closed her teeth lightly over one of his nipples and bit down ever so slightly. Simon’s mouth fell open at the sensation, a soft sigh escaping his mouth as his hands ran down and cupped her back side, pressing his hard length against her wetness. At the tease, Kaylee found her hips rolling against his, her forehead falling to rest on his chest as she felt her body boil with barely contained desire.

Placing her hands on either side of him, Kaylee sat up a bit and repositioned herself above him, joining them as slowly as possible. Their matching cries of delight drowned each other out as Simon felt her wet heat envelope him, his already throbbing arousal pulsing even harder for a release his body desperately craved.

Kaylee’s mouth again dropped to his skin, this time her lips and teeth fastening around the joint where his neck met his shoulder as they began to move. Their thrusts were a bit urgent and hard, Simon’s need to remember what true love really was driving him to push further than he had before. Kaylee’s mind swam with incoherent thoughts as she felt him pierce her deeper than before. Pulling her lips back from his skin, Kaylee murmured, “Ta ma de, Simon. Don’t ever stop doin’ that.”

His manly ego well and fueled by this admission, Simon’s hands kneaded the flesh of her back side, as his lips found one perfect nipple and bit down slightly. With a cry, Kaylee’s hands grabbed for Simon’s hair seeking purchase as her entire body tensed, so close to the edge of bliss she thought for certain she’d pass out from the anticipation.

Working her lips to his ear, Kaylee’s voice was barely more than a pant, but even over his heavy breathing, Simon could hear her pleading, “Harder, Simon.”

With a grunt, Simon thrust upward once more, feeling the tension in his gut that signaled his own end growing. Moving fluidly, he held onto Kaylee firmly and rolled them over, this new position giving him the leverage for one final thrust that drove them both to their dizzying release. Panting and breathless, Kaylee moaned with delight as she felt Simon’s hot seed rush into her and then found herself floating and weightless as he pressed his lips to hers for an endless kiss.

Lying tangled again in a pile of sweaty limbs and twisted sheets, Simon held her tightly to him, reveling in the feel of Kaylee’s warmth and the content that came from being truly loved. His sister had been right – Kaylee had shown him a whole other side of love, one with passion and want and desire, but also caring and concern and emotion.

Feeling her stir against his chest, Simon pressed his lips against her forehead and smiled as she turned a lazy grin to him. “That was ruttin’ amazin’,” she murmured, brushing a kiss against his cheek.

In no position to disagree, Simon instead pulled her more firmly to his chest and buried his face in her hair.

“Simon?” her sleepy voice reached him and he answered, “Hmmm.”

“When I tell ya I love ya, you know I mean it, right?” Big emerald eyes were again studying him and Simon felt his heart stop for an instant.

Running a light hand down her cheek, he told her, “Of course. Why would you think I don’t?”

Placing a hand to his cheek, Kaylee told him honestly, “I jus’ don’t want ya to think I’m like her.” As he smiled to her, she shrugged lightly and said, “’Cause I ain’t. I love you, truly.”

Tilting her chin up, Simon kissed her lightly and said, “And I will do everything in my power to deserve your love, bao bei. Because it is a gift.”

Smiling to him again, Kaylee buried herself into his side with a soft sigh and felt the pull of sleep. As Simon watched her breathing even out, he found himself staring, a particular passage from a different fairy tale springing to mind.

“And at last he laid his eyes on the finest sight he’d ever beheld -- a princess, with bright and resplendent beauty that was, in its manner, a bit of the divine.”*

---- ----

(*The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood by, Charles Perrault)

---- ----

River finished her breakfast faster than usual drawing odd looks from both her brother and his girlfriend. The rest of the crew had already eaten early, prepping for a job, and one that River would not be needed on.

Which, it turned out, was perfect. Wiping at her mouth, she dropped her napkin to the table and rose with a bright smile on her face. “I’ll see you later,” she said happily, practically skipping from the room.

“Mei mei,” Simon called after her, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Where are you going?”

“To visit with Inara,” River called over her shoulder, quickening her pace to get away before Simon could ask for any other pertinent details. She had a feeling that her brother would rather not know exactly what Inara was teaching her, although River had to admit, the act of self-love was gratifying – when executed properly.

---- ----

TBC