"And I'll stand there with the wizard." Fiyero sung softly as scissors snipped his hair back to shoulder length. "Feeling things I've never felt. And though I'd never show it... I'd be so happy I could..."

River shook her head, a spray of dark locks, giggling in a robe as she gave him a haircut. To be named after something that he could easily be teased after, he embraced it.

"Say it."

"No." She kept clipping away as he sat there, in just a towel that collected the hair.

"Come onnnn." He whined, giving a puppy dog face.

"You're a dork."

"But I'm your dork... who you haven't see for so long, who has missed you complete with the chesty stomp pains and nightmarish visions." Fiyero plied her with the puppy dog face, singing once more. "And though I'd never show it, I'd be so happy I could...?"

"Melt." She finally complied, and watched his ridiculous lopsided smile erupt from his face.

"And so it will be for the rest of my life, and I'll want nothing else till I die..."

"Done." She announced, looking him over, proud she could cut his hair straight. Although she had cheated and gleaned from Inara (who had learned on the cortex how to cut hair, since she couldn't exactly go to salons anymore).

"Held in such high esteem...."

"You keep singing, I braid your hair." She threatened.

"When people see me they will scream."

She picked up a lock of his hair.

"Half of Oz's favorite teeeeeam."

River started braiding.

"The wizard and IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII."

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

"I don't like him."

Inara sidled up to Mal with a rustle of her green dress, the sound of rain spattering against the roof and windows filling the space around. He was arms folded, back straight, blue eyes locked onto the barn, unhappy scowl plastered on his face. Watching him, she smiled.

He looked back at her, then forward, then doubled back at her smile. "What?"

"She's not your daughter."

"Never said she was." He argued, shifting his weight uncomfortably, sliding his thumbs under the suspenders. "Just... don't like him s'all."

"You're protective of River..." She called.

"Well... hard not to be..."

"Yes, what with her slaying a room full of Reavers," Inara folded her arms and stood next to him with a mimicked stance, her tone dry. "She's absolutely helpless."

"Wasn't too long ago she came in all curled up in a box, deer in the headlights look, about as tough as a bruised peach...."

"And she's grown, and matured to a happy, healthy, beautiful young woman." Inara countered. "I'm proud of her, and happy she has someone."

"But she's too young to know.... some... stuff." He countered awkwardly, stiffly.

"When was your first time?" She asked "Because if it was older than eighteen I'm sorely disappointed."

He pursed his lips, a little furrow in his brow. "That ain't the point."

"How old?"

"Why?" Mal's voice hit a high pitch.

"I was fifteen." She offered. "It's normal for most young women to have their first sexual encounter at sixteen...."

Mal made a face, fidgeting by rolling up his tan sleeves all determined like, as if he wasn't too keen on where she was going. "Ain't the point..."

"Mal you see her as a child still. However River's a young woman and your paternal...."

"I know I ain't her pa," The captain responded, quickly, not entirely convincing "...if I was I wouldn't have up and abandoned them 'cause that hundan did." He squared his shoulders. "And I know she's older, but it doesn't mean I gotta like 'em."

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

They had awakened from their nap.

It was another house, Simon held Dakota's hand firmly, as she wanted to squirrel away. Liam was different. He had his finger in his nose, picking away, as the other hand clutched Kaylee's pant leg firmly and he didn't even think of straying. Off to the side, at a little play table, where two girls sitting there with their dollies playing tea in the living room.

"Here they are." A mother announced, toting back to the living room a large potato sack. "There's some mighty pretty dresses for you, little one." She told Dakota.

Dakota shrunk back, eyes narrowed like a cornered wild thing.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Finn." Simon told her once more as Kaylee got Liam to quit digging for buried treasure. "This was just so unexpected..."

"It's not a problem Doctor, all the good you've done here it's the least we can do to repay you." She nodded her head, she was a full figured woman in a floral dress, her curls done up in a bun . "Once they get settled little Dakota's welcome anytime to come over and play with the girls."

"Thanks." Kaylee smiled, watched the Finn girls. "You've got a pair of sweet hearts you do.

Dakota slipped away from Simon.

"PWAY!" With a playful yelp she charged a girl in a pink dress, pouncing, tackling, tumbling to the floor.

The other girl screamed, clawing herself away and running to her mother. The older sister following suit as Dakota took over their tea party.

Simon and Kaylee stood there, aghast.

The mother did as well.

Dakota picked up a doll and crowed with wild delight. "COME HEWRE!" She told Liam.

Liam gazed up at his new mother for permission. "Pease?"

Dakota took another doll and pitted them against one another, growling like they were beastly action figures instead of frilly dollies.

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

Meilin stared at her father.

She was sitting in Zoe's arms as Mal ran water in the sink, grumbling.

"Why is it you've always gotta up and dirty your clothes when I feed ya?" He asked, off handedly. Fatherly mind going off and thinking about her, when she was older. No longer little, chubby and cute, but a tall, graceful, teenage version of Inara.... And every single boy who's eye she caught... wo de ma....

Meilin let out a loud infant noise, getting his attention. Her little cotton dress soiled with milky spit up as she pawed her face sleepily.

"Don't talk back with that tone, you're never messy with her." He turned and unbuttoned the snaps, pulling it off of Meilin. "Sometimes I wonder who's side you're on."

Zoe's mouth wore a crooked smile.

"Zoe don't you think she fancies Inara more?"

"Well, Inara is her mother, Sir."

The baby sighed, stretching out and enjoying just being in her diaper. Clasping fat little hands together, she gazed up at him once more and talked back in her incoherent fashion. Brown eyes bobbed sleepily as her aunt Zoe's fingers gently played with her pudgy baby belly.

"I knew you fancied her more." He scrubbed the dress to get the stain out. "It's cause she can feed you from the source, isn't it?"

Meilin furrowed her brow, as if determining how she was going to counter the question. "Uh." She announced, then yawned and scrubbed her face with her palms.

"I knew it." He wrung out the article of clothing. "After all I've done; feed ya, change ya, naps, silly voices, and you side with her."

She reached for him, yawning. Letting out a tired fuss, she earnestly got across how ready she was for a nap.

The Operative walked into the kitchen, heading towards the stove as a pot of stew was available to anyone who was hungry since there was no way to have everyone take a sit down lunch at the same time.

Zoe's stance became rigid, she looked damn near ready to pass Meilin over so she could kill him.

Mal's eyes slid across the way, watching his first mate, watching the Operative. "So, seeing as you're here for awhile, you gotta name I can call ya or do you just go by Former Alliance Tool?"

The Operative took a bowl and spooned a helping of the stew out. "I don't remember my name." He announced. "Upon accepting a position in my field, they make you a ghost. I don't exist, therefore I have no name."

"Well, genius, you do exist." Gathering Meilin up from Zoe, who sleepily snuggled against him for her nap time, he began to walk towards the laundry room to deposit the dress in the hamper before going upstairs to lay the babe down. "So you better figure one out yourself before we give ya one."

The Operative put his head down, feeling the scathing eyes of Zoe Washburn.

She swallowed thickly and contemplated what to do.

"Zoe?"

Zoe turned around to see Tasya descending the stairs. "Yeah?" she answered, leery.

"Are you free? I'd like to do a quick check of your lungs since you were outside for awhile." She asked, professionally, but with a much friendlier and easy going air than she had the first day of meeting them all.

"I feel fine." The other woman hedged, her chin lifted, her shoulders drew forward, defensive, and slightly bellicose at that.

"Would you just humor me?" She asked. "Please?"

Zoe, looking completely joyless, if not disgruntled, stalked off to her room.

Those in the kitchen and the living room, watched if they could. There was an odd wrench of tension between the two. Often the military amazon was completely aloof whilst the doctor fluctuated between being an assertive professional and socially sheepish.

Tasya followed, preparing herself for the aloof patient.

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

"So sorry for that... incident..." Simon talked briskly as he speed walked over to the wagon. Kaylee set the clothes in the wagon before hoisting Liam in then climbing in herself. "We completely understand if you retract the play date invitation... and we really need to get going into town."

Dakota dangled from under his arm like a sack of angry potatoes. "I WANNA PWAY." Her arms and legs flailed wildly, and it was why he held her so, because she couldn’t get out of his hold.

"No, no, we need to go." Shifting her to his hands, holding her by the armpits, out and away from his body like a feral cat, the new father set her in the wagon and leapt up to the front. Blue eyes glancing to the flustered, miffed mother who's girls clutched her skirts and cried furiously about their hijacked tea party and unruly guest. "Again, we're so sorry."

With a flick of the reins the wagon lurched along.

"That was sort of horrific." He muttered under his breath.

"So, she's a little spirited." Kaylee tried to reason in a positive manner, though her spirits were rather dampened.

Dakota tackled Liam, who squawked and was thankful when Kaylee pulled his sister off of him.

Simon cringed. *** *** *** DEFINITIONS/TRANSLATIONS hundan: bastard wo de ma: mother of god *****As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**