Mal moved towards the new arrival quickly, looking stern and a bit confused. “Excuse me, miss,” he said. “How exactly--,” “You left the main hatch open,” Krys interrupted him. This pulled Mal up short for a moment, and as he hesitated, she leaned around him to see River. “Hey there, Riv,” she said shyly. Seeming oblivious to the tension in the room, River beamed and waved happily. Then, after a pause and a moment to ready herself, she turned once more to the dark haired man still staring at her. “Hello, Simon.” She seemed nervous now, as if wondering if it had been a lapse of judgment to board the ship. Hearing himself be addressed seemed to bring Simon around. “Krys,” he acknowledged, inclining his head in her direction. “So what’s the best part, then?” Jayne asked with his usual overabundance of tact. When Simon remained silent, River added to the story for the first time. “Simon and Krys were to be married.” “It was arranged, of course,” Krys added. “We’ve been engaged for, what? Twenty years now?” “Eighteen,” Simon corrected at the same time that Kaylee exclaimed, “Engaged?” “I… no!” Simon immediately began backtracking as Kaylee rose from her seat. Krys looked on curiously as everyone else either shook their heads or rolled their eyes. River’s smile finally began to fade as she looked from her brother to Kaylee. “Not anymore,” Simon finally managed to force out a legible statement. “Of course not, Kaylee. I… I wouldn’t…” He looked to Krys for help. “Obviously, we’ve called it off,” she supplied smoothly after a moment’s hesitation. “It would appear that neither of us are under our parents’ rule anymore, so there isn’t any reason.” There was a catch at the end of her statement, but it appeared to go unnoticed. Only Inara caught anything off, but she remained impassive. Kaylee’s expression was no longer hostile, but she still seemed upset. “I’ll be in my bunk, Cap’n,” she said to Mal before retreating down the hall. The silence lay thick after her departure, but only for a moment. Mal was the one to break it. “Well, now that that’s out, it would seem you’ve got some information for us?” Krys was careful as she turned to the captain. “Yes. On Osiris there’s a group in need of supplies. Rations, medicines, the general necessities that a smuggling ship has. They can pay, of course.” “Aren’t there easier ways to get a hold of these things than to flag down a smuggler on an outer rim moon?” Inara asked. “Well, yes,” Krys admitted. “But these aren’t exactly the kind of people who can walk into a merchant store and ask for supplies. There’s enough Alliance there to keep them away from the cities.” Mal nodded a bit, but then stopped and said, “All right, two questions. First, why are you the one out here talking to us? And two, why are you on the rim to begin with when the sect is in the core?” Krys shrugged. “Same answer to both. I’m the people person, almost like the PR. I was working on starting a sect out here when they sent me a wave saying a Firefly class ship was coming my way that could help us. I was to abandon my position here to lead you to the sect on a supply run, if you were amiable.” Mal’s eyes narrowed, but Zoe jumped in before he could comment. “Why is this sect even still hiding? We were under the impression that after Miranda, you wouldn’t have to anymore.” Krys’s eyes darkened. “So were we. The feds on Osiris were of a different opinion, though. We may be more accepted among the people, but the Alliance is still in power. And their guns hurt.” Finally, it seemed that only one question remained, and Jayne was the one to ask it. “If you’re supposed to be a rebel PR, why the ruttin’ hell are you dressed as a wench?” Krys shook of the dark veil of the past at his question. “Hey,” she defended jokingly. “Even rebels need day jobs.” After a silent pause, she added, “I’m supposed to be recruiting. I’m not exactly going to be using a fliers campaign tactic.” Mal nodded slowly as relative silence settled once more on the crew. Simon ducked out with a quiet, “Excuse me.” Krys watched him go, but Mal intercepted her attention. “It would seem that we’re pushing for Osiris, then,” he said. He looked to River for his next words. “I’ll take her out of the world. You go, be with your friend.” River lit up at this last statement. It was as if she was glowing, a brightness that was cast around to her friends. Even Jayne smiled, and the captain looked a bit less stoic than usual. “Wait,” Krys said as the last words caught up with her and clicked inside her mind. “You’re the pilot?” “Sometimes,” River said as the crowd began to disperse. Inara, however, drew closer to the two girls. River noticed her approaching and said, “This is Inara. She’s our Companion.” If Krys was surprised, she hid it well. Long impressed decorum took over as she extended her hand and said, “How do you do?” Inara took it gently. “You’ll have to meet everyone else at dinner,” River continued. “There’s Mal, he’s the captain. Zoe’s first mate. Jayne is…” There was a moment of hesitation before River shrugged and said, “Jayne. Kaylee’s our mechanic; oh, you’re going to love her!” River clasped her hands in front of her and bounced a little. “And, of course, Simon’s the medic.” “It will take some time to get into deep space,” Inara said. “And we won’t have dinner for another couple of hours. If you would like, you could come clean up in my shuttle.” It only took a moment for Krys to respond. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”

The room glowed gently, the light from the panels carefully enveloping everything it touched. There were the colorful hangings on all four walls, the bed covered in bright, cheery blankets, and the pink cake layered dress hanging at the foot of the bed. There was also Kaylee, sitting cross-legged on her coverlet and tinkering with what could conceivably have been part of Serenity. The expression on her face was a strange note of discord in the otherwise peaceful room, with the muted sounds of living drifting down and the quiet tinkling of chimes emitting from the music player. Slowly, though, she seemed to relax into the comforting environment. This was how Simon found her a moment later. He seemed almost hesitant to descend the ladder into her warm little world. She heard him, though, and as she caught his eye he climbed down the rest of the steps. Kaylee turned her back to him as he reached the floor, seeming to put all of her attention into the mechanism in her hands. Simon said nothing, instead drawing closer to her quietly and watching her work. Kaylee was, in the end, the one to break the silence. She turned to him quickly, abandoning all pretense. “You shoulda told me,” she said, accusing. Simon barely responded, merely nodding slightly and saying quietly, “I know.” “I mean,” Kaylee continued as she rose and began pacing about the small bit of floor space in her room. Simon remained still and watched her move. “This is kind of big.” “I know,” Simon repeated. “You were engaged! There was a whole nother woman--,” Simon stopped her here, stepping forward and gently taking her by the arms. “No, no!” he said quickly. “It’s not like that.” “Then what’s it like, Simon?” Though Kaylee was now standing still, she didn’t seem much more calm. Simon released Kaylee and sank down onto her bed. After a moment, she followed his lead. “Honestly,” he said with a sigh. “I haven’t thought about it much since I’ve been on the ship. There was River, at first. But then, there was you. It never even occurred to me that there could be anyone else after that. I had never loved Krys, but you…” Simon paused and looked at Kaylee then, and it seemed that under Simon’s words she was finally softening. “There never could be anyone else,” he finished simply. “I love you.” At this, Kaylee relaxed back into Simon. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close to him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair. “Aw, it’s okay. It just took me a bit sideways is all. I’m not angry or nothing, and I don’t hold nothing against her. It’s just good to know everything.” As a new thought occurred to her, she turned quickly to face him. Nuances of worry crossed her features. “This is everything, right? There’s not something else? I’m not going to find out that she’s your cousin or something?” Simon couldn’t contain laughter as he responded. “No, no. That’s everything.” “Okay, then.” With a grin, Kaylee curled onto her side and lay back once more, using Simon as a pillow. Simon propped himself up against the wall as he held her, his hand sliding automatically through her hair as he leaned down now and again to press his lips to her forehead. Sometimes she would turn her head and intercept his kisses with some of her own, but for most of it they just relaxed peacefully, enjoying the closeness of the other’s presence. The ship moved on and everyone else continued living, but for now that mattered little to the two in the crews’ quarters. In their warm little bubble of contentment, all that really mattered was each other.

Krys followed Inara out of the dining area a bit tentatively, River trailing behind them. The youngest of the group chattered happily, filling her friend in on the goings on of her life for the last three years. Krys, though still silent, began to relax and smile as they continued through the ship, and by the time they entered Inara’s shuttle most of her hardened exterior seemed to have fallen away. “Now,” Inara said as River paused in her speech for breath, “let’s see if there really is a human girl beneath all that grime.” Krys ducked her head, blushing not only from the comment, but also because she only just realized that she was standing in an actual Companion’s workspace. Of course, her particular coloring wasn’t exactly visible. River reached out carefully and touched her friend’s shoulder. They caught each other’s eye, and suddenly they were embracing. Inara moved away quietly to a corner of her shuttle partitioned off by a red silk screen, leaving the two girls alone. It took Krys a moment to realize she was crying, tears sliding down her cheeks and leaving dirty spots on River’s white blouse. It almost surprised her to find that River had grown to her height. River made quiet, comforting noises, her eyes welling as well. She knew that her friend’s tears were stemming from joy, but she still whispered, “Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay.” The two remained like that for a moment more, but as Inara returned they separated carefully, still leaning gently on each other to maintain that point of contact. “It’s just over here,” Inara said, leading the girls over to the small bathing area. River settled herself beside the basin filled with warm and perfumed water. Inara seemed hesitant to leave, but found it unnecessary when Krys smiled shyly and said, “I don’t mind company.” Inara returned her grin and moved to River’s side. Krys began undressing slowly, or at least attempting to. She began having difficulty when it came to pulling her shirt over her head, so Inara stood and gently assisted her. “Thank you,” Krys whispered, but she elicited no response from the other two. Both of them were looking instead at the collage of colorful bruises molting Krys’s back. As Krys stripped to her underclothes, more marks were revealed, some old and faded while some seemed new. There were a mirage of scars as well, including what appeared to be a brand mark of an “A” on her left shoulder. “What happened?” Inara asked as Krys lowered herself to River’s side by the basin. River reached out gently and let her fingers rest on a particularly nasty looking bruise on Krys’s arm. Krys just shrugged. “I may or may not have gotten in a few tussles during my time out here.” Doubt was evident on Inara’s face, but she voiced none of it. Instead, she asked, “Did you bring much with you onto the ship?” Krys shook her head, picking up the sponge and beginning to gently wash away the impurities on her arm. Inara was slightly surprised to see that the girl actually had porcelain pale skin. “I’ve got the necessities in a bag I left in the bridge,” Krys said, looking up to Inara. River caught the idea of Inara’s thoughts and was beaming again. Krys didn’t notice the change in her friend’s disposition and continued, “Just some clothing, a couple of prized possessions.” After a moment, she added, “A toothbrush.” The barest hint of a smile touched Inara’s face. “Well,” she said. “You are free to borrow my things while you’re with us. I believe that we’re about the same size.” Though River looked excited with this prospect, Krys seemed nervous. “Don’t worry,” River chimed, immediately picking out the source of her friend’s anxiety. “I’ll help Inara pick out something you’ll like.” With her fears of wearing Companion-style clothing put slightly to rest, Krys returned to her washing. Inara quietly ducked back into the main area of the shuttle with River close behind. They looked through some of Inara’s less ostentatious things, finally coming to a decision on a simple midnight blue silk dress that would fall to just below Krys’s knees. While they looked through the clothing, Krys finished cleaning up, even going so far as to wash her hair. It turned out to be blonde rather than the dull brown it had appeared to be. She toweled off carefully and tussled her hair until it was mostly dry. Finally, she came out from behind the protection of the screen, still clad only in underclothes. River’s smile grew and she hugged Krys again, for the girl before her finally looked like her friend. Inara, however, noticed something else. Many of the bruises were more prominent without the concealing filth, and a few lacerations had been revealed. She moved gracefully to one of her tables where she grabbed some non-descript jars. “Healing balms,” Inara answered to the questioning looks of the two girls. Krys nodded and reached for the jars. “Oh, let Inara do that,” River said, pushing Krys down into a sitting position on the floor. “Can I play with your hair? Please?” Krys looked to Inara to make sure this was okay. With a smile and a nod from the latter, Krys laughed and acquiesced. River took a brush that Inara held out and began gently working through the damp tangles. Krys helped Inara with the balm, spreading it over various parts of her arms and legs. Inara struck up conversation. “Simon said that you three have known each other for most of your lives.” Krys nodded, careful not to pull at her hair that River was still fiddling with. “As long as I can remember,” she intoned. “There was this once,” she said, smiling. River grinned as well, already knowing what story was coming. “I was probably only about ten. The three of us were venturing around the Tam’s yard when we came across this pond. We swore no one else knew about it, and that it was just our secret. Turns out it used to be a well or something that just overflowed. It was pretty much forgotten. Anyway, we were goofing around and I got the bright idea to find a rope and swing into the water like they did in the old books.” Krys rolled her eyes at the memory but never stopped smiling. “Even though Riv was the youngest she was the only one able to tie the rope up in the tree. She didn’t even climb down; she just jumped into the water from up there. I was next, and needless to say it didn’t go over so well. I slid straight off the rope,” She clapped her hands together in a sliding motion to demonstrate. “And completely nailed my head on the bank. Simon was there, though. Right there.” Krys lowered her hands, watching as she folded them in her lap. Her eyes seemed to soften without permission, as did River’s expression. “He took me back to the house, helped me get better. It really just seemed,” Krys shook her head, returning her gaze to the room in general as her now smooth hair slid from River’s still fingers. “I guess when someone’s carrying you half conscious across a lawn, it makes sense that they seem to be the only thing around.” With the conclusion of her story, Krys carefully stood and stretched gently, testing her limbs. Inara took the dress from the bed as River poked around in some of the hairpins on Inara’s table. As Inara helped slide the clothing over the blonde’s head, she said, “So, how long after that was it before you fell in love with Simon?” Krys spun around, getting tangled in the dress’s arm hole. “Of course not!” she exclaimed, then realized her mistake. “I mean—,” she stuttered, but River interrupted before she made it further. “Only a couple of years,” she said, very matter-of-factlike. “It was very romantic.” Krys stared, agape, at both other women. Inara saved her from speech while gently straightening out the dress. “I don’t think it’s very apparent to the others. They all believe that the romance is behind you, and him. It doesn’t have to stay that way, but I believe it would be prudent to leave it in the past as much as possible. He is happy with Kaylee now.” “Of course,” Krys muttered as the dress fell around her properly. “I would never try to… disrupt his life now. I’m here for the job.” River approached carefully after finally finding the clip she was looking for. While sliding it into Krys’s hair, she said quietly, “You can stay, you know. You shouldn’t go away just because of Simon.” “Oh, Riv.” Krys slid her arms around her best friend once more. “I’ll be here for a little bit. Don’t worry. I’ll never abandon you like that again.” The three stood quietly, a peaceful tableau. Soon, though, a knock on the shuttle door interrupted the scene. Mal’s voice entered the room, echoing through the shuttle port. “Chow’s up,” he declared before retreating just as suddenly as he had come.