Chapter 14

-------------------------------------------------

Morning comes all to soon for River. Her bodies internal clock starting to wake her. Feeling sluggish from the physical and emotional events the night before. L.S purrs softly from her spot beside Kaylee, awake and watching a fluff ball blow across the sheets. River watches her with a half smile, then looks up to Kaylee. The half smile growing into a full blown grin, oving up and kissing her tenderly.

"Time for morning consumption of protein substance..."

She whispers as Kaylee yawns, waking from the slumber she'd been in.

"Wha...? Oh, breakfast...We best be gettin' back to the ship then."

She sighs, not really wanting to move. She brightens a bit though when River kisses her neck. Smirking faintly, rolling over and pinning the younger woman down beneath her. River squeaks, then grins crookedly, learning up, kissing her lover tenderly. The action quickly growing heated. L.S meowing in displeasure at being moved as the bed dips, jumping to the floor, licking her paws. Moans starting to puncture the quiet air in the shuttle. Inara clears her throat loudly, having entered unheard by the girls when she knocked and got no response. Kaylee squeaks in surprise. Rolling off River, much to the other girls displeasure. Inara fights a smile at the pout the younger woman sports.

"Sorry to interrupt. But Mal is asking for everyone to return. I sent him a wave, said I'd pick you both up. So get dressed and we should make it home for breakfast."

The blonde nodes, sighing a bit. She knew they'd have to be careful again once their in the air. She didn't' want anyone getting, as the captain so often threatened, thrown out the airlock. Well, at least she'd be working on the engine. And all those lovely repairs she's gonna get to make at last, she'll have Serenity purring like a kitten. River looks over slightly, studying the play of emotions over Kaylee's face. She reaches over, stroking her cheek. The blonde blinks, then smiles, kissing her palm lightly.

"C'mon, lets get dressed. After breakfast I bet Simon will want to try to give you a check up. We can hide you away in the engine room with me though.

She smiles brightly, the dark teen grinning as well.

"Ok"

After Inara has gone up into the shuttles cockpit, the girls get up and get dressed a bit reluctantly. Neither happy to see the other clothed again. River putting on a dress she'd stored away earlier. It a flowy pink thing, a thread bare overly large red sweater going on over it. Kaylee pouts.

"No fair, I don't got any clean clothes."

As she speaks, River turns, putting a neatly folded stack of clothes into her arms with a slight smirk.

"You do."

She states simply, the mechanic blinks, then beams, kissing Rivers cheek. Getting changed quickly. Now in a new set of coveralls and a brightly colored top.

"There! Now I feel good'n'proper like."

She beams again, going to the shuttle cockpit to speak with Inara. River, having found L.S's hiding spot, turns her attention to coaxing the kitten out to play. Kaylee looks back, smiling warmly at her girlfriends actions, leaning against the doorframe lightly for a moment, sighing happily. River pauses, now playing with the kitten with a bit of string, hearing Kaylee sigh.

"Ok?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes Bao-Bei...I'm just...very happy now."

Kaylee smiles brightly at her, it growing when River smiles back. Chuckling when she goes right back to playing. She turns, continuing to Inara.

"So, how was it?"

"Oh, wode me, she's...wow."

Inara chuckles, piloting the small vessel back to the ship.

"That good hmm? Well, you know what they say about the crazy ones..."

The blonde blinks, tilting her head. Confused by the comment.

"What?"

"Really? YOU, of all people, don't know???"

"No, what? Tell me!"

The companion chuckles, then motions her to come closer, whispering something to her. Kaylee's cheeks darken, then she smirks.

"Oh...Yeah. Guess they got THAT saying right.mmmm...."

Inara laughs out right this time. Back in the main room of the shuttle, River raises a brow as she listens to the two women talk up front, then shakes her head at the kitten.

"Women..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once the ship was well into the 'verse, Mal calls for everyone to meet him in the dining area. He felt it was time they knew the course they were going to take. And really, he just needed to tell everyone except Book, Wash, Jayne and Zoë, but dang-it! He wanted the rest of the crew there in case someone tried to hit him for his choice. He runs his thumbs behind his suspenders lightly, waiting by the table for everyone to arrive. Inara and River are the first to get there, followed shortly by a grease covered mechanic who looked frazzled at being called away from her engine room.

"What Captain?? I'm busy with puttin' all those shiny parts into use. What's so important to pull me away from makin' sure we don't, you know ,fall outta the sky???"

She huffs again, crossing her arms over her chest, raising a brow at him in question.

"Well?"

"Well, ah...see Kaylee...Ah! good, everyone is here!"

He clasps his hands together, causing the women to turn around. Simon and the rest of the crew joining them at last. Zoë and Book coming over to Mal, Wash still up in the front of the ship, flying and all that. Saffron lazily saunters into the room, sitting by Simon. Jayne flopping down into a chair, propping his feet up on the table. Mal glares at him, the merc scowling, dropping his feet heavily onto the floor. Kaylee crosses her arms over her chest again, still watching him.

"Gonna say now? I gotta get back to work or well, ya know, we'll be hitting a lot of turbulence, and then, explode."

Mal groans, rubbing his face and sighing.

"Okay, okay. Its about our upcoming job. Simon...River, we're going to need you two. Your the only ones who have any kind of knowledge of the Academy layout...Simon, you know how to break in....River, i don't know if you remember, but you spent almost 3 years in that place...the inside will be...familiar to you."

Time seemed to slow the next few moments. River, sitting at the end of the table opposite of mal, watches the scene before her un-fold. Simon went red faced, yelling at Mal though she couldn't hear the words, everything on mute. Kaylee actually agreeing with him, to Simons surprise, protesting this just as much as the young doctor. Inara looks startled at this confession, not having expected Mal to put these two in such a spot. Simon moves to shove the Captain back, but Zoë steps in quickly, putting a stop to it before it unfolded into a full scuffle. All at once time seemed to snap back to the present. Mal looking relieved he didn't get hit by anyone.

"Look, everyone, relax! I just want your info on how you got in, was security was like, that kind of thing. I don't wanna send you two right back to'em. I ain't THAT dumb or desperate for a plan."

The Captain of Serenity sighs, looking over to Simon.

"I'd greatly appreciate your help on this one Doc. I dunno how much security has changed. But any help you can give us would be greatly appreciated."

Simon frowns, hands on his hips, thinking for a moment. Finally nodding slowly, almost reluctantly.

"Fine...I memorized the layouts I'd been given to get River out. I'll draw them for you...and any guard routes i remember at the time."

Mal lets out a sigh of relief, glad the doc had seen reason, grimacing when he hears the good doctor start speaking again.

"But I won't allow River to go. Its to dangerous for her. Now more then ever. You even HINT at bringing her..."

"Whoa Doc, calm down. I ain't gonna bring her into this. Girls been though enough as is."

Kaylee relaxes almost more then Simon does at those words. She didn't want to put River in that kind of danger just for money, or for anything really. Simon nods slowly, sighing.

"Fine. I believe you. I'll have the maps for you after supper sometime. Do you have the directions to get to the School? Or do I need to give them to Wash before we set course?"

"Right, and no, not yet. Lets make sure we're ready for any nasty surprises before we go in guns ablaze and all end up very dead and not paid."

Mal looks around at everyone then waves his hands at them in dismissal.

"What? I'm done. Now git, the lot of you. I believe ya'll got job s to do here. Get to it."

Most of the crew roll their eyes at him. Jayne going back to his workout with Book. Inara taking River back to her shuttle to get on with helping her bathe. The girl had a bad tendency to just wander off in the middle of washing, or just not get dressed afterwards. So Mal had asked Inara to help or at least guard the door. Simon goes down to his bunk to get to work on the maps and notes for Mal, while Mal and Zoe return to the bridge. Kaylee hurries back to her engine room, sighing just a bit. Wishing she could help River, but knows it was better for Inara to do it. If they wanted to get any actual washing done anything. She smirks a bit to herself, sitting on her knees by the engine as she starts to work, mind wandering a bit to a little fantasy.

River lays in a tub from earth that was, bubbles covering her modestly, steam raising from the deliciously hot water. She looks over to Kaylee with a coy little smile, winking before sliding down into the water, disappearing beneath the surface. Just as soon as she's under, she surfaces, flicking her hair back, spraying water behind her in an arc of droplets that catch the light. She stands slowly, water and bubbles running down her body. Clusters bubbles clinging to her breast and her hips, hiding her center. She lifts her hands, head tilting back, running her hands over her hair to slick the wild curls back a bit. Extra water running down her body as she does so, starting to wash away the soap from her breas-

"Ow!!!"

Kaylee yelps, pulling her fingers to her mouth quickly. Eyes watering a bit from the sting of hot metal she'd touched when she was busy day dreaming of naked, soapy, River. She grins slowly, then shakes her head fiercely.

"No! Bad, focus Kaylee. Focus!"

She shakes her head again, taking a deep breath. Getting back to work on the engine, managing to avoid further injury to herself. She sits back on her heels with a tired but happy grin of triumph on her face after she finishes. All of the worn out, over worked parts replaced at last. She sighs happily, patting the engine cover fondly.

"All patched up girl. Feels better to be put to rights again don't it?"

She smiles, stroking the warm metal tenderly. Wishing she could fix River so easily. If only for Rivers own comfort. She hated seeing her love suffer as she does, struggling to remember who she once was. She sighs, shaking her head to rid it of the grim thoughts.

" Enough of that! I gotta go feed L.S."

She pushes herself up with that, leaving the engine room, Serenity humming happily behind her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simon sighs down in his room, rubbing his face as he sits back in his chair. Paper laid out on the table in front of him. A rough layout of the Academy sketched out. It rather crude looking, River was the artist in the family. He couldn't draw his way out of a paper bag. He scowls down at the drawing again, crumbling it up and tossing it into a steadily growing pile in the waste basket.

"Problems, Simon?"

The young doctor jumps, looking over quickly. He relaxes when he sees Saffron standing in the door a small grin on her lips.

"Don't sneak...and not problems per-say...I just can't get these drawings right. I've never been much of an artist."

He sighs, running ink stained fingers through his hair then rubbing his jaw. Saffron smirks again in amusement when she sees streaks of ink left behind on his skin. She moves over, sitting on his desk in front of him, her feet resting on the edge of his seat.

"Don't worry...and come here."

She grabs his chin gently, making Simon blink up at her.

"what-?"

She leans in close slowly, for a heart stopping moment looking like she was going to kiss him. His eyes widen for a moment in surprise, before half shutting as he relaxes. Mouth relaxing in anticipation of the kiss, only to yelp in sudden surprise as Saffron licks her thumb and scrubs the ink marks he'd made on himself. Blushing darkly in embarrassment now, clearing his throat.

"T-thank you."

The red head smirks.

"Thought i was going to rock your world Simon? I don't like my men so tidy..."

She pats his cheek lightly with a wink, leaving him alone again. Simon continues to blush, blinking a bit. Finally huffing a tad and shaking his head at papers on his desk as he gets back to his sketches and notes. Muttering faintly to himself.

"Women...."