The dining area was becoming slowly populated. Simon and Kaylee entered first, moving around the kitchen preparing dinner while occasionally distracting themselves with more pleasant undertakings. Mal and Zoe came in next from the general direction of the cockpit. Though Zoe stayed and began setting places at the table, Mal lingered only long enough to confirm dinner was indeed almost ready before exiting the opposite direction of his entrance. On his way out he passed Jayne and they exchanged a silent nod of greeting before continuing on their separate courses. Jayne grabbed himself a drink and quiet conversation began to lull around the room. There wasn’t much in the way of speaking, but there was a sound that felt of occupied space and of companionship. By the time Mal returned with River, Inara, and Krys just behind him, dinner was set out and Jayne and Zoe were discussing guns. “I’m not saying nothing against the newer Raz-A.C.s,” Jayne insisted, tilting his glass towards Zoe to make a point. “They just don’t got flair, is all. I like something with a bit of a…” Jayne trailed off, his eyes turning and focusing on the group entering the room. His glance immediately caught Krys, and it took him a moment to place her as the dirty barmaid who had boarded the ship. The clip holding her hair away from her face glittered subtly in the light, and Inara’s dark blue apparel was much more complimentary to Krys’s figure than her wench’s garb. “Kick,” Jayne finished absently, setting his drink onto the table without taking much notice of it. Jayne’s flighty attention was not the only one fixed on the newcomer. The earlier comfortable noises seemed to have dulled as they all took stock of the figure standing just inside the door. While the sleeveless dress may have been good for her general appearance, it also showed the worst of the marks on her arms and legs, though it thankfully covered the worst of the scars and the brand on her shoulder. Mal, Zoe, and Jayne were able to look past these without much recognition and take in the rest of the girl, but both Kaylee and Simon paused. The latter’s eyes darkened, but his voice was still fairly light as he said, “I can take a look at those, if you’d like.” Krys kept her eyes averted and matched his tone when she answered. “That’s all right, Simon. Inara is looking after me.” Simon frowned. He would still feel better if he was able to do a full physical, but he felt the time to press the subject was not then. It seemed that the time for scrutiny had ended, and everyone began moving about once more. To everyone’s utter shock (and to River’s amusement), Jayne stumbled to his feet and pulled a chair away from the table for their guest. Krys, not realizing that this behavior was out of the ordinary, smiled at him and said, “Thank you…” She paused and let her sentence fall away, looking to River. “Oh, right!” the younger one exclaimed. “This is Jayne.” She gestured to the man beside Krys, who looked at him and raised an eyebrow before River continued. “That’s Zoe, and this is Kaylee.” At the last part, River rested her hand on Kaylee’s shoulder. Krys gave a cordial nod to each as they acknowledged their names. “And,” River finished, “You know Simon and the captain.” “That I do,” Krys agreed, looking at everyone. “Evening, folks.” Everyone murmured replies and people began, one by one, to seat themselves around the table. Krys carefully slid next to River in the seat indicated to her by Jayne. The mood seemed tense, but River was like a bridge between Krys and the other occupants. Though she was most likely more aware of the apprehensive atmosphere than anyone else, she was skilled at ignoring it. Her words flowed easily and took the edge off of everything else. “Do you remember,” she eventually chirped to Simon, “the night that you and Kaylee first—,” Until this moment, Simon had spent most of the meal listening to his sister distantly while playing with Kaylee’s fingers under the table and staring blankly at his food. At this point, though, he looked up in shock and dropped his fork with a clatter. “River!” he interrupted quickly, the color rising in his face. “I really don’t think that now is the best time to be discussing this. Or… ever.” “Aw, come on now, Doc,” Jayne chuckled. “I think your sis is getting to something good here.” Still smiling, he turned to Krys, who was beginning to blush herself. “Maybe you could tell us. Has he always had a stick up his you-know--,” Jayne stopped here as Krys began sputtering on her drink. River patted her carefully on the back, concern warring with amusement as the dominant emotion playing across her face. Krys brought an arm up to cover her mouth, her coloring now deep enough to rival Simon’s. Without warning, a brown paste flew across the table and landed with a wet splat in Jayne’s locks, the castoff spraying everyone in the vicinity. “Now, will you knock that off?” Kaylee said sweetly, the same colored food dripping from one of her hands. Everything was utterly still for a moment, with Krys looking wide eyed from Kaylee to Jayne, who was just sitting there. Eventually, rolling his eyes, he reached for something that could plausibly be a roll. After pegging Kaylee with one, he mopped the foodstuff out of his hair with another and snacked on it. “I do believe that that’s enough of this storyline,” Mal said firmly but with a smile as a general order was restored to the table. “River, could you check on everything up front before hitting the sack?” “Sure!” River stood quickly, and Krys followed her example more slowly before realizing that her presence in the cockpit may not be allowed. She looked to the captain, questioning. “May I…” she trailed off, indicating after River. After a moment, Mal answered, “Go on ahead. Just don’t be touching nothing ‘less she tells you to.” “Of course.” Krys inclined her head towards Mal before smiling at everyone else and exiting after her friend. The departure of the two girls seemed to induce movement in some of the others. Inara slipped out quietly as Simon spoke. “I’m going to go check the infirmary… see what we’re low on.” Kaylee stood to follow him and the two also took their leave. Mal only hesitated a moment in the silence before saying bluntly, “She’s lying.” This caught Jayne’s attention, and he asked indignantly, “What about?” at the same time that Zoe said, “I caught it too.” “Well,” Jayne grumbled, “This is a buncha--,” “Jayne.” Mal’s sharp interruption cut off Jayne’s Chinese expletive. The caption eyed the latter before continuing to both Jayne and Zoe, “I don’t think she means us any harm, but she’s hiding something.” “I could, you know, persuade her to tell me,” Jayne suggested hopefully. “Take one for the team and all.” Zoe rolled her eyes. “We’re not trying to scare her off the ship, Jayne.” “Also,” this came from Mal, “She’s no idiot. If you’re going to be poking around, don’t let her know it.” “And he’s going to use his subtle prowess to do this?” Zoe asked. When she received no response, she continued, “Oh, yeah. This’ll go great.” Mal sighed. “No need to get hasty. Jayne, keep your thoughts to yourself for now. Let’s not spook her.” Dejected, Jayne slumped in his seat. “Should we say something to the others?” Zoe inquired. “No.” Mal shook his head. “No need to worry them. Plus, if they knew it would get around to her at some point. Though I would bet that River knows too. If it’s anything too bad, she’ll tell us.” “You’re staking a lot on the common sense of a girl who was crazy but few months ago,” Jayne growled. “You’re just jealous because you don’t have any,” Zoe muttered. Mal ignored his first mate. “Yes,” he agreed. “But she’s part of my crew. I trust her.” “Yeah, yeah,” Jayne grumbled as he stood. On his way out he added, “Don’t got nothing personal against the girl. Just don’t think any of us look too good in red.”