The Takes place in BDM, after Miranda, but before the Engine Room Scene. Disclaimer: Joss Whedon is a god. I am just a lowly priest.

Kaylee had been sick for about three days now, and Simon was starting to get nervous. She could barely get out of bed without feeling exhausted or dizzy within ten minutes. She chalked it up to stress, the events of Miranda still fresh, but Simon had other ideas. After finally cajoling her to the infirmary to run some tests, his suspicions were confirmed: Kaylee was infected with a virus when those Reaver darts struck her, causing her fatigue and other minor symptoms. He administered anti-viral medications, but he knew that unless she rested, she would just get weaker. “You have to rest, Xiao Mei Mei” whispered Mal to his normally bubbly mechanic. Looking at her now, in the infirmary chair was breaking his heart, as she weakly smiled up at him, trying to assure him that she could finish up the repairs. “Listen, Cap’n, my baby needs me right now, she gets awfully tetchy if I’m not there taking care of ‘er.” , she said weakly. Mal smiled back replying, “Now how do you suppose to take care of her if your fallin’ asleep under the running engine?” At that, Simon pushed another dose of medication into her IV and rubbed her hair out of her face, looking down at her the concern of a lover, not a doctor: that side of him knew she would recover soon. Mal looked on at this small exchange, his lips tightening, not wanting any man to lay hands on his Kaylee, the girl he regarded as a little sister. He defiantly did not approve of ship board romances, ‘specially where Kaylee and the Doc were concerned. “The Captain is right, you need to sleep, I’ll be right here when you awake.” At that, she let out a sigh of relief. “Me too”, Mal curtly interjected, not liking on bit the way the Doc was looking at his mechanic. Kaylee slipped off into a deep slumber feeling the presence of two of the most important people in her life right now, and she was content. ________________________________________ Two full days of sleeping in the infirmary, slipping in and out of waking periods, had gotten to Kaylee. She was grateful that the poison had no lasting effect, and it touched her to see the Doc and her Captain look after her despite their wounds, but she just wanted to get back to her baby, and her own bunk. When the Doc finally cleared her to return to her own bed, she was delighted. She still had one more day of rest before returning to work, but she could relish that day in the comforts of her own space. ________________________________________ Mal and Simon helped Kaylee to her bunk that night and both men lingered in her bunk, talking and enjoying her company when Zoe called over the com for Mal. “Captain, please come to the bridge, these take off sequences just aren’t right.” Sighing, sad for his ship and his grieving first mate, he eyeballed the pair before retreating, “now you need rest Mei Mei, and don’t let the doc deprive you” as he shot a warning at the Doc and left the hatch open. Simon gulped, seeing the menace in the Captain’s eyes. Simon cleared his throat, and the two shrugged of the awkwardness and continued their conversation when later, Simon noticed Kaylee drifting off. As he stood to tell her good night, she did something that surprised the young doc. She sat up, grapping his wrist and simply said, “Don’t go.” He stood there, scared of Mal, scared of hurting her feelings, and scared of his own feelings. “You need you rest, I will be back to check on you in the morning.” But she persisted. “No”, smiling at him, making his heart skip a beat, “Stay here with me, I might just need a doctor in my weak condition.” She whispered, at this she giggled, pulling him to sit on the bed. “Oh really?”He whispered back, smiling at her with a wide goofy grin, “And what do you suppose I sleep in? My suit?” At this, Simon’s sleeping pants dropped down the hatch to his feet and he heard River laugh at him saying, “Boob” before closing the hatch. ________________________________________ After fiddling with the take off sequences for an hour, Mal finally fell into his bunk, half listening through the wall into Kaylee’s bunk. When he heard the doc say that’ll check in on her in the morning, and the hatch click closed, he knew the doc had gone back to his bunk, and at that, Mal drifted off into sleep. ________________________________________ Kaylee laughed at River’s actions, her eyes dancing in delight as she saw the smile creep across Simon’s face as he said, “Well, I ran out of excuses, scoot over.” Then she averted her eyes, peeking only a little, and he slipped out of his suit and into his sleeping pants when she heard him say, “Huh…. Brat forgot my shirt” as a chuckle fell from his throat. She grinned wider, “Naw, now why would you need a shirt, you don’t normally sleep in one, do you?” At that he flustered, caught between propriety and comfort with Kaylee. Finally, agreeing he never had need for a shirt, and he crawled onto bed with Kaylee. He wrapped his arms protecting around her as she nuzzled her face into his chest. He kissed her hair, smiling contently as the both drifted off to sleep. ________________________________________

Mal woke early the next morning and decided to go ask the Doc how Kaylee was feeling last night. When he couldn’t find the doc in his bunk nor the infirmary, he chalked it up to Simon prolly chasing’ his moon brain sister around the ship and he smiled at the thought of that sight. He decided to go check on Kaylee himself, being really quiet as to not wake her. When he reached the bottom the ladder, the sight that waited him was enough to make his blood boil. He just stared, wide eyed and mouth agape at Kaylee’s bed. Simon’s naked arms around Kaylee’s back, as Kaylee's naked legs, not quite covered by the sheets, rested over Simon’s legs. Mal quietly climbed the ladder as fast as he could as he crossed the hall to Jayne’s door, knocking to wake up the mercenary. A groggy Jayne answered the door, “wha?” Mal simply stated, “Get Vera.” Immediately awake, Jayne dropped off the ladder, grabbed his prized gun, and scampered up the ladder as fast as he could. “Wha’s up?”, that hard man grumbled. Mal simply motioned for him to follow, and be as silent as possible and the two men snuck down to Kaylee’s bunk. ________________________________________ Simon awoke to see Kaylee in his arms, and he had never been happier. Kaylee, as if feeling his gaze on her, opened her eyes too, smiling as she noticed who embraced her. “Morning,” Simon half sighed, and she returned the greeting. Simon immediately pulled her into a deep kiss, his tongue caressing her parting lips. Kaylee sighed into the kiss and starting to inch her hands up and down Simon’s strong back. Following suite, Simon started to explore the mechanics body, feeling her curves and caressing her soft skin. “Mornin.” Said the captain, when he noticed they clearly did not know he was in the room, half enjoying the look on their faces when they heard him. Kaylee, surprised, rolled around to face the voice when he saw Mal standing there, next to Jayne, as the mercenary cocked Vera. All colour fleeing from her face, she swallowed hard, really not wanting Simon to be thrown out of the air lock. Simon noticed the two men intruding on his very personal moment, and he was determined to not “pull a Canton” as he thought it, and mess up his relationship with Kaylee. Coming up to rest on one elbow, he pulled Kaylee tighter to him, resting his hand on stomach under the sheets. “Morning gentlemen.” he responded, smiling up at the two men. Kaylee immediately relaxed feeling Simon spoon around her, and she could not help but smile as the feel of his warm hand on her. She nuzzled up closer to him and waited, half holding her breath. “Something wrong with your bunk, Doc?” Mal grumbled fast, glaring at the Doc. “Lonely” was Simon’s reply, as his lips grew into a wide, sheepish grin. ________________________________________ Back upstairs, Zoe heard the ruckus of the large men clamoring down the ladder and stood at the top, waiting for any action, not totally sure what was happening. Inara, passing by, stopped too; she immediately knew. River juts walked by, and muttered, “All men are boobs” to Inara and Zoe. Inara let out a laugh, and Zoe realized what the commotion was about, sighed at the foolishness of Mal. “Poor doc” she said to Inara. “Poor Kaylee!” was Inara response. Inara climbed down the ladder to save her friends. ________________________________________ Mal's face was red with anger, he heard Inara come down the hatch but he couldn’t deal with that right now; he had to get the doc away from his mechanic. Choosing to address Kaylee instead of the cocky doc he yelled, “Kaylee, get that boy up right now!” as he wanted Simon out of the bed. Kaylee responded, a grin matching Simon’s, “He was up before you interrupted.” Simon’s face didn’t even redden but he squirmed slightly, as if to hide the no longer existent bulge. Mal's jaw dropped as he sputtered, trying to think of a reply. Jayne almost dropped Vera, and a small smirk appeared on his face. Inara chuckled lightly at the response and the three men’s reaction. “GET YOUR HANDS ABOVE THE COVERS RIGHT NOW!!” Mal bellowed to the pair. Simon slowly brought his hands above the sheets, caressing Kaylee’s skin as he went. Inara and Jayne could not control their laughter any longer, looking at Mal as if he was a clown. “Now listen here. We ain’t do nothing wrong, hell, we still have our clothes on!” Kaylee retorted back, now clearly angry at Mal. Simon piped up to defend them as well, “It’s very early in the morning, and we would all like some more sleep. Will you kindly leave?” Mal looked incredulously at the two of them, then at Jayne as he turned to leave. “And where do you think you’re goin’?” he asked the merc. “Doc’s right, too early; I’m goin’ back to bed.” Replied Jayne, as he climbed up the ladder. Inara walked up to Mal and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Really Mal, they are two adults and we should leave them some privacy. Come up stairs, and let this be.” She looked at him sternly, her tone more scolding than suggestion. “Now everyone listen here; I am the Captain and this is my gorram boat! I remember clearly saying ‘No shipboard romances.’ Yet what do I find? My ship’s medic with his hands on my mechanic!” Mal boomed at everyone in the room. Hearing the fight, Zoe lets out a sigh and climbed down the ladder, “Sir, we all know you own this boat, but you do not own the people. With all due respect, this has little concern for you” the first mate said sternly. Mal looked like he was about to faint as he sputtered, “What is this?! A gorram mutiny? I am not leaving until I see that Tam boy running for his life back to his bunk!” “Well that’s just not going to happen, so kindly leave” was Simon’s response, as both he and Kaylee looked very angry at the Captain, no longer amused by his outburst, not the intrusion. Sighing, Mal looked at Kaylee, “Kaylee, Xiao Mei Mei, this boy is taking advantage of you, with you being all sick and all, and I ain’t gunna stand for it.” His eyes staring into hers, he looked very much like an older brother, concerned for her. “Honestly Cap’t, Simon here is not taking any unwanted advantage. Hell, I asked him to stay here last night, and it took a fair amount of time to break his properness. And that lil cold of mine passed, so I’m in my right mind.” she said in a huff. Mal looked angry still, but his back relaxed a little, upset that he hurt her feelings. ________________________________________ Jayne chuckled to himself the way back to his bunk, he almost felt sorry for the doc, interrupting him like he did. Hell, he would kill a man for doing that to him… ________________________________________ Inara and Zoe donned their best innocent faces when making a team appeal to Mal, trying to talk some sense into him, but he would have none of it, and sent them away. They both cast apologetic glances at the couple, and retreated upstairs. Now alone with the two offenders, Mal was speechless. He just stood, rooted in that spot, glaring at Simon, as if challenging him to stay there. If Simon was at all worried, he didn’t let it show as he looked sternly in to the captain’s eyes and stated, in a clear, calm voice, “As I said earlier, it is barely eight AM. Most work does not start till around 10 on this ship, as baring any horrific accident, neither of us have any pressing jobs. We aim on getting at least another hour of sleep, whether you are standing here are not. I simply request that you remain quiet, and not mind if the lights are off. We can discuss this in a more civilized manner later in the day.” With that, he rolled Kaylee back to their snuggled position, flicked the lights off and the couple closed their eyes, as if to sleep. Mal stood there, unsure what just occurred, not sure if he should move. Finally after five agonizing minutes of silence, he slowly left the bunk, vowing to have it out with his whole crew later in the day. Kaylee was so proud of Simon, she could barley pretend to sleep while Mal was still in the room. Stealing tiny glances at Simon, she could tell he was not asleep either. When Mal finally left, and they heard him walk away from the door, the two simultaneously burst into laughter. “Well, that went well” Simon remarked, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. “Mmhmm…” Was Kaylee’s only response as she snuggled against him, using his chest as a pillow. Simon belt his head down and kissed the top of her head, smelling the allure scent comprised of engine grease, the rough shampoo, standard on Serenity, and he own natural scent that drove him crazy with desire. “Kaylee…” he ventured, “you know I would never try to take advantage of you, right? It took all of my willpower to not… well, to get to sleep last night.” “Simon, I trust you, and trust me when I say, sleep wasn’t my first choice when I got you into bed.” At this, he chuckled, and kissed her head again. She wiggled her way on top of him and looked straight into his eyes, grinning, and “You tired?” From his physical response, she knew he wasn’t, if his declarative “No. nope” didn’t give it away. He pulled her into a deep kiss that quickly escalated as months of tension were released. When they finally finished, passions quenched (for now at least), Simon sighed as he saw the time. “Looks like our hour is just about up.” Kaylee let out a small pout, but agreed that the Captain was angered enough, no need to dawdle. Simon put his pants and shirt on, opting to forgo the vest and jacket as Kaylee slipped into a t-shirt and cargo pants before slipping on her work boots. As Simon started for the ladder, Kaylee jokingly jumped on his back, “Can’t we just stay here all day?” she inquired. “You know that’s all I want, but, alas, the day must go on” Simon, shifted her higher onto his back before climbing the ladder, surprising Kaylee with his strength. At the top of the ladder, she jumped off and laughed as he pushed a stray hair off of her face. As he turned around, he was caught completely off guard as Mal landed a hard punch on his jaw. Inara came running to yell at Mal as Kaylee dropped to check Simon’s face. As he assured her he was fine, he got to his feet and glared at Mal, waiting to see what happened next. “That’s for sleeping with Kaylee.” Mal all but grunted “Now, I ain’t gunna space ya and I am not even going to talk about this any further. I see ya make her happy, and that makes me happy. But, I ain’t apologizing neither. You touched my mei mei, I hadda slug ya. That’s just how it is.” “Well, I am glad you are being civilized about this” was Simon’s retort, the sarcasm clearly lost on Mal, who strode away to the bridge. “Lets go take a shower, huh?” was Kaylee’s fast way of deterring further violence with a coy smile on her face. “Sounds like plan” was Simon’s response, smiling taking her hand and leading her to the showers. Inara just stood there, laughing. This was going to be an interesting journey.

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