Fiyero lay there, in the mud the snow had melted into, cold, wet, caked in mud, and having his mouth ravished by River Tam as she was haphazardly on his stomach, her legs splayed on opposite sides of him. Her fingers pulled on his tunic, ran through his hair, and they both melted at one another's touch.

"Uhhh... River?"

River whimpered, her eyes shut with his, tears running down her eyes as she felt his mind lingering with her own.

"River."

Fiyero groped her leg with a muddy hand, squeezing her thigh, haphazardly cupping her perfectly shaped rear.

"RIVER."

They were completely absorbed in....

Mal grabbed River by the back of her coat and hauled her up to her feet. She looked startled, and slowly gazed up at him with a flushed face and neck, her backside muddy.

River gave an innocent smile.

"Take it you two are good friends?" He asked in an obviously rattled way, keeping hold of her while Fiyero still lay there, dazed as hell.

Zoe stood behind with brow drawn, Jayne was snorting lecherously, Hershel was mighty confused and Inara hung on the porch with Meilin, approving of the boyfriend but not the muddy near-tryst.

"Hey." Fiyero said, eyes un-dilating. Sitting up, he drew in a deep breath. "Uh...so... got your wave..."

"Missed him." River licked her lips unconsciously as Mal kept a firm hold on her, as if she might jump Fiyero's bones again.

"Well if that ain't the understatement of the year." The captain responded, then looking over to Fiyero. "Did you steal an Alliance patrol craft?"

"Maybe?" He gulped air.

The Captain rolled his eyes and set his jaw tight, exasperated. "And you flew it here? Where they'll find it and bring a world of trouble to? Like I don't have enough of it already?"

"Blow it up." River answered, still looking at Fiyero. "Middle of the prairie, boom."

Mal knew that look the young woman was giving, 'cause he and Inara looked at one another just like that before they found someone to babysit and then took off for the bedroom. He cleared his throat, all uncomfortable like ('Cause he most certianly was), and kept a firm hold on her as she looked ready to pounce Fiyero. "Alright, well I suggest your lover boy..."

"Gather his things and take him to your loft in the barn." Inara stepped forward, cutting Mal off. "You two can bunk there, wash up too."

Fiyero nodded his head and rose shakily to his feet.

Mal threw a look back to Inara.

'Let her go, please.' she mouthed.

Letting River loose, he watched her rather gracelessly move over to the lad, who caught her and kissed her cheek before jumping, and sliding because of the mud, up onto the wing before clambering up into the cockpit to grab a duffle bag of things and his staff. Getting down, they walked off together, dripping mud, silent, and beet red at that. With two cats following like animal spirits.

"Just let them be, they obviously need a moment together." Inara pointed out.

"Theys had one." Jayne snickered. "In the mud."

"Got that right." Mal walked over to the fighter and climbed the ladder up. "Zoe..."

"Gotta stay here, doctor's orders in the wet, cold weather." Tasya announced as she and the Operative had watched the entire thing from at a distance.

Zoe gave a slow smoldering glare at the woman. Mal turned, befuddled as to who would shoot down his initial order.

"Well..." She stammered some. "Your doctor would say the same thing." Tasya reasoned, shifting her weight. "They're his orders."

"We don't take Simon too seriously Dr. Foley." Mal replied. "Zoe, you and Jayne follow me in a shuttle, plenty of grenades and that keg of charges we've been saving for something special."

"You want some marshmallows to roast?" Inara quipped.

Mal turned and gave her a sarcastic smile. "No thanks Sweetie. Gotta clean up the mess those crazy kids left."

"I know you'll have fun. You like to blow up things."

He saluted her as the cockpit closed and the engines turned over.

Inara turned and went in the house with the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We were on our way to town and was wondering if you could help us out?" Simon shifted his weight from one foot to the next as Kaylee stood next to him, holding a clingy Liam as the boy was taking a nap. Liam had wanted to be held, while Dakota wanted nothing to do with human contact as she was asleep in a pile of blankets in the back of the wagon. "Um, it's a long story but apparently I have twins that I also suddenly have custody of and we were wondering if you had any hand me downs to spare?"

The woman, with young boys wreaking havoc about inside the house nodded her head. "We have a few things to spare, least we can do since you cured Jessup and Marky from the Lilac Syndrome."

"And how are they?" Simon winced as a battle cry rose from within the house.

Liam stirred some, but was too comfy in Kaylee's arms to wake. He snuggled in, head on her shoulder and gripping her fuzzy sweater.

"They're boys." The mother wrung her hands on her apron, turning around to the sound of a yelp. "SETTLE DOWN! WE HAVE COMPANY!"

There was an unholy screech.

"WO SHUO SHI AN JING DE HOU MOU REN JIANG BEI BIAN DA!"

The commotion died down.

She let out a beep breath. "I'm sorry Dr. Tam, Kaylee, come inside and we'll see what I saved.

She went in, and they stood there for a moment, paled, mouth slightly ajar in sudden horror.

They were parents.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You know, it killed me."

River looked across the way of the tub, steam curling up from the hot frothy water. She was at one end, Fiyero was at the other as they resided within her loft. The cats were asleep in an old basket atop blankets, and the little heater Mal had installed some time ago was making the loft toasty.

"Well... obviously didn't kill me... physically... more metaphorical." He watched a foot come out of the water, toes wiggle at him. "But..." He reached out and grabbed the foot, pausing as the pain welled back up. "I know what he did to you." His normally easy going features turned rigid with anger "The manipulation, the brutal training, how he nearly made you murder that little boy." He cut off, his voice hitching as she stood there in shock. "Grand Master calls it something special... Something about bond between a reader and the ones he loves. It's like bliss together, with rainbows and glitter and dancing puppies.... but it's like someone stomps your chest when you're forced to part. Being able to see the other's life through dreams... or nightmares. And I tell you what I got the short end of that stick when you took off with Mr. Snow Dragon Psychopath." He exhaled, staring at her with brutal honesty, massaging her foot.

Her mouth was open, but she could not talk as his mind gave off an agonizing energy. The pain of a broken heart, a heart that had seen wickedness brought upon his lover, but could do nothing.

"I didn't sleep most of the time, or eat... or meditate..." Fiyero confessed as she drew her foot away "I went through every day like someone was stomping on my chest and recently the chest stompiness has gone away." he caught his breath, gazing at her sorrowfully. "River seeing you just brings back the pain. The chesty stomp pain. Really does."

Her eyes, mirrored how he felt as she moved across the tub, straddling his waist, pressing her bare chest up against his own, smoothing his wet hair back. "Dreamt of you." She kissed his forehead, feeling hands beneath the water settle on her hips. "Was hurt too, missed your nearness, wanted this." She kissed his mouth, cupping his face. "Won't be in pain anymore because I won't leave. Won't part."

Staring into her eyes as her fingers explored the plains of his face, kissed her lips softly. "Promise."

"Want you there, by my side." She smirked. "You have a job, actually."

"Really?"

Her head nodded.

"Do I get paid in money or lovin'?"

River giggled. "Liang ge."

"Yeah?" He held onto her, kissing her neck. "What's my...."

The door opened.

Fiyero froze, River smiled casually.

Inara peered inside.

"Come in." River chirped.

Fiyero's slipped down in the water, though his lover kept him from submerging himself completely.

Inara didn't bat an eye as she walked in with a tray. "I had a River-like voice in my head tell me all of a sudden some food would be nice, as well as some scissors, a razor and fresh towels."

"Thank you." River smiled, arms thrown over Fiyero's muscular shoulders.

"You're welcome, enjoy yourselves." She shut the door with a smile towards the two.

When the door shut," Fiyero gazed at River. "You projected her to come over?"

"You're hungry." She patted his chiseled tummy, her face mock seriousness. "Need a hair cut and shave." Her thumb ran against the grain of his youthful stubble before she landed a peck on his nose.

"But she saw us..."

"Inara was a companion, saw it all before and doesn't care." She kissed his nose again, then frowned. "Mood?"

"Give me some time, just had someone walk in on me and my girlfriend while we're tubbing." He stole a a kiss. "Let me scrub all of those hard to reach spots of yours, see if any part of you's green."

She grinned, wickedly.

"I could call you Elphie."

River playfully splashed him.

"I know a few of the songs..."

He was promptly splashed again.

"You know my voice isn't horrible...."

Another splash.

"Why did i miss you again?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The plane's explosion made the air hot a quarter of a mile away.

"I love blowin' stuff up." Jayne announced, satisfied with his work.

Mal exhaled through his nose as he kept on visualizing River and the boy. What was his name? Fiyero? Whatever. All he knew was he remembered River tumbling out of her cryo box, naked and innocent. Playing jacks with Kaylee, curling up into a ball in the co-pilot seat, dancing without music through Serenity, Wash trying to teach her how to play with his dinos. Then there was River Tam sprawled out on some long haired boy, kissin' on him like she knew exactly where it was going to go.

"You know she ain't a kid anymore." Zoe said, dark eyes focused on the burning wreckage. Dark, gravid storm clouds were rolling in from the endless horizon. The fire would be out soon enough.

"Yeah.... still doesn't have to sit right though."

*** *** *** DEFINITIONS/TRANSLATIONS WO SHUO SHI AN JING DE HOU MOU REN JIANG BEI BIAN DA!: I SAID BE QUIET OR SOMEONE WILL BE WHIPPED! Liang ge: Both. *****As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**