Chapter Six

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River lays up on the catwalk aboard Serenity, one arm dangling down off the side. Hair hiding most of her face, sheilding the frustrated look in her dark eyes. The image of Simon on top of Kaylee playing over and over in her mind, unable to let it go.

"...they looked like one"

She mumbles into the cool metal of the floor, warm breath fogging it over for a moment. She tracing meaningless shapes into the patch as it disappears slowly.

"They are for each other...that is how it was...I think"

She groans, rolling onto her back, hands covering her face, peeking through her fingers up at the ceiling. Hearing someone approach , fingers snapping shut quickly, hiding her troubled eyes.

"River? Why're you laying on the catwalk like your back in your coma?"

Wash's voice reaches her ears, he peering down at the prostrate teen. River peeking through her fingers again slightly.

"...hiding"

"Hiding, of course. The old 'If i can't see them then they can't see me' trick. A true classic, works every time."

River rolls her eyes, but drops her hands, Wash smiles at her cheerfully.

"So why're you really out here?"

River shifts, sitting so her legs dangle off the catwalk, putting her arms on the railing, resting her head on them faintly, hair dangling about her face like a curtain, sighing faintly.

"Simon and Kaylee are busy being one, and a River does not run between them."

The pilot blinks, confused at first, then snickering as he gets what she's talking about.

"So THAT’S what those sounds were in the house. Mal though it was me and lambytoes. I'd love to take credit, but sadly I am only human, and not even the Great Wash can please his wifey when she's in another room altogether. Though there was this one time-”

"Information not relative, Bath."

"Its Wash, actually."

"Water is water, though you are not me."

She smirks at his confused look, giggling lightly.

"Glad I could amuse you...you know I come from a very funny family. But I've always been the best at making people laugh. If being a pilot hadn't called to me, I would a been a clown."

"To much red for a clown."

"Huh?"

She giggles again slightly, pointing to his head, then to his nose, indicating where the customary bright red clown nose would go.

"You'd be mistaken for a tomato"

Wash blinks, startled for a moment, then laughs.

"Your right! Maybe that could've been my catch. The Amazing Talking Tomato. People would come for miles around just to look at me. I could have my own action figure, with kung fu ketchup grip! I knew a guy who used to eat ketchup with everything, seriously. Even on sweets!"

River shakes her head slightly, amused with the rambling pilot.

"And everyone says I’m crazy?"

"I know, makes you question their judgment eh?"

Wash smiles at her, lifting his head as Zoë calls for him.

"Oops, got to fly little witch"

He smiles, heading for the stairs.

"Coming lambytoes!!"

River shakes her head faintly, watching him go. But, oddly, she did feel cheered up somehow. She remembered laughing associated with the ships red headed comedian. And some comment he made on juggling geese once...She shakes her head again, clearing it, pushing herself up onto her feet carefully. Her body wanted to move, even with it still healing, but she wasn't sure HOW. So she stayed still, listening to herself for some clue, a hint as to what her body wanted to do. The sound of her breathing...and...something behind that. She closes her eyes, focusing on the soft, steady sound. Hand raising to rest on her chest lightly, realizing all at once what the sound calling to her was, her heart. Feeling the steady beat against her palm, its pace slow and steady, relaxing her softly, letting the beat lead her. Dancing slowly, movements slow, graceful, fluid like, there not meaning to the motions, but at the same time, it seems to be completely natural. Dancing to the rhythm of her body, knowing where to go, somehow keeping herself safe from falling.

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Kaylee grumbles as she goes outside, blinking when she runs into Saffron. The seductress swearing when bumped.

"Where in the diyu do you think your going so fast?"

"S-sorry...just, flustered. Didn't look where I was going.."

"....Oh, I see. Finally sexed up that strapping young doctor and he got all proper about it again huh?"

Kaylee flushes, but doesn't snap , knowing she'd hit the nail on the head. Saffron smirks.

"Knew it, you have that 'just bedded' look about you...so what'd he do?"

'he made it sound like an...an accident! He looked, embarrassed by his actions!!!"

Saffron tsks, shaking her head, sighing heavily. Hands going to her hips.

"Men. Sometimes so daft...But, the doc's sister...She's got fire in her. And she seems quite fond of you."

The mechanic sputters, blushing scarlet.

"I'm not sly!!"

Saffron shrugs, smirking softly.

"To bad, they say crazy ones are the best in bed. And your crazy is very flexible...I know many straight women who would be tempted at such an offer."

Kaylee growls, bristling, stepping close to Saffron, pushing her shoulder lightly.

"Don't you go near River you...you….gai! She's not one you'll ever get to know. And if I find out you've done anything to her..."

Saffron chuckles, smiling crookedly at the ruffled mechanic, tsking her softly.

"Got you...best figure out how you feel for real , and you'd best think hard. That girl seems to be very important to you. More then a friend should be. Trust me on this, reading people is what I do. What you don't see, I do. I'm trying to help here for once."

Kaylee sputters again, blinking rapidly. Unable to really find her voice, Saffron chuckles, smirking lightly. Patting the flustered young woman on the shoulder.

"You'll figure it out. I hope, you don't seem to be stupid."

Saffron grins at her comment, chuckling, she walking off again to find Mal. Leaving the silently fuming mechanic behind. Kaylee huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. Stomping a foot lightly, turning sharply, going to find Inara. Grumbling about women who can't keep their noses out of other peoples business.

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Mal groans as he hears all to familiar female footsteps approaching.

"What now? She-devil.."

"Now now Malcolm. That’s no way to talk to your boss."

Saffron rests her hands on her hips, shaking her head at the Captain of Serenity and her crew. Mal scowls at her, setting his guns down back on the table, having been in the middle of cleaning them.

"Your NOT my boss, you just happen to be paying us to do something for you."

Mal frowns, thinking over what he 's just said. Saffron smirking, shaking her head like a person used to dealing with others less intelligent then themselves, knowing full well Mal would recognize the look. She just loved to push his buttons.

"No, of course not. I'm not your boss, I'm just in charge of what you do and when you do it and if you get paid. Not your Boss at all..."

"Shiny, glad we see eye to eye for once."

The captain states, nodding, going back to cleaning his weapons, the red headed seductress rolling her eyes with a hint of a smirk on her lips as she sits down at the table with him.

"We need to go, soon. Time is a factor here Malcolm."

Mal looks over at her, not faltering in his motions.

"I know. But I don't want to travel till I know my crew and ship are back to being right as rain and ready to break atmo again. But we should be ready to leave soon, give us a day or two lee-way."

Saffron sighs in frustration, but relents a bit for now and nods.

"Fine, but not more then that, Dong ma?"

Mal nods again slowly after a moment of considering his options here, sighing lightly.

"Dong ma"

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"What’s wrong mei-mei?"

Inara frowns gently as she sees a flustered Kaylee coming into her shuttle.

" 'Nara! I'm sick of that...that, scrawny pigu!! She-she just said the crudest thing about River I've ever heard!"

Kaylee huffs, sitting with the ships resident Companion, relaxing a little as she feels the brush pull through her tangled soft gold brown locks.

"What did Saffron, I can only assume that’s who your speaking of, say to get you this upset mei-mei?"

Inara speaks gently, working on getting the tension out of the young mechanic. Kaylee slowly repeating most, leaving out the bit about Saffron all but calling her Sly, of what the red head had said to her only a few moments ago. The Companion listens quietly, working the knots out of Kaylee's hair gently, brushing till its silky soft.

"Well, crude as that may be, Saffron, in a way...kind of complimented River."

"But she's just a child!"

Inara chuckles softly and smiles gently at the confused look on her mei-meis face.

"River is not a child any longer kaylee, she's growing up into a beautiful young woman. We can't keep thinking of her as to young for anything any longer."

Kaylee opens her mouth to protest, then stops, thinking the words over carefully. She blinks when she realizes Inara's right. When did this happen?? When did River stop being a child to her, and become a woman?? Inara smiles as she watches the emotions play over the younger womans face.

"It happened so fast didn't it? But even our little witch had to grow up at some point."

Kaylee sighs, crossing her arms over her chest slightly, resting back against Inara again.

"This is gonna complicate things somethin' fierce...I mean, Simon will flip if he finds out what that woman said…especially if she ment it and she goes after our River."

Inara raises a brow as she watches the mechanic bristle at the thought, shaking her head lightly.

"If it bothers you so much mei-mei, maybe your feeling a bit more then 'sisterly protection' towards River...?"

Kaylee spins around quickly, causing Inara to pull the brush away so she won't get it stuck in her hair.

"I don't have a crush on River! I...I like Simon! i can prove it, we just made love earlier today! Now why would I do that if I liked River? She's...she's just like a little sister to me is all. That’s it, ain't no more then that."

She pushes herself up as she speaks, huffing in annoyance and near panic. Stomping her foot on the word 'more' to emphasize her point. Jumping when she hears the shuttle door shut, but only catches a glimpse of nearly black, dark brown hair flash across the little port window in the door.

"River...!!"

Kaylee groans, biting her lip fiercely, running after the distraught physic. Silently berating herself for speaking so harshly just to prove she wasn't sly. Ignoring the little voice in the back of her mind asking her why she was denying it so hotly over and over anyway. She'd never felt upset about being called sly before, just when it came to being about River. River moved with surprising speed for someone still healing from injuries, feeling like someone had taken her heart out and fed it to a Reaver. But she didn't understand why hearing Kaylee say those things hurt her so very badly. She knew somewhere in her mind, that Simon and Kaylee belonged together. So...why did it feel wrong to see them with each other. Why did every time she saw him touch her, she wanted to break his fingers. She didn't understand it, the flurry of emotions made her head ache fiercely. She needed to get away from it, letting her feet carry her faster and faster from the cries of the mechanic who was the root of her confusion. Disappearing into the ship, finding one of the its endless havens from the usual chaos of the crew inside it, hiding. Kaylee stops, hands on her knees as she tries to catch her breath, looking around slowly.

"River?? Sweetie? Please, come out. Talk to me. I didn't...what I said, I..."

She sighs, biting her lip again, rubbing her eyes faintly. Why was she feeling like this? She couldn't understand it, not one bit, and it was messing with her like someone had thrown a wrench in her engine. She groans, sitting down with a heavy sigh, resting her forehead on her arms as she draws her knees up to her chest.

"Wode me... why do I feel like such a jerk..?"

She groans as she hears Mal's voice cackle over the intercom system, ordering her to the engine room. There'd been a change in plans. They were leaving, and leaving NOW!