A.N.: So, here's part three. Please dont kill me for the cliffhanger, hehe. So, like i predicted, this one's in Romance. Next one should be back in general fic. Enjoy, and comments are always appreciated, as usual!! =)

A muscle in Simon's cheek twitched nervously as he waited for Kaylee in the cargo bay, pacing back and forth. He was wearing his black suit and vest, with his untucked white shirt, and feeling like he was going to burst from anxiety. He carried a black leather bag that held a blanket, a thermos of hot chocolate and a small box of strawberries; a surprise for Kaylee. Finally he decided if he walked back and forth any more, his shaky legs would give out on him. So he sat on the metal stairs, waiting.

Kaylee was being lead down the corridor to the cargo bay by Inara, suddenly full of nerves and terrified. Inara was trying to soothe her, but it wasn't working; Kaylee was so nervous about how Simon would think of her in this outfit, this beautiful shen-i borrowed from Inara. "Meimei, relax. You two are going to have a wonderful time." Inara reassured her again, squeezing Kaylee's shoulders. Kaylee shot her a terrified glance as they reached the door to the cargo bay and she stopped short. Inara turned Kaylee to look at her. "Come on, Kaylee. Head up, back straight, be confident. You’re gorgeous, and he'll love it. Really." Kaylee took a deep breath, trying to let Inara's words rush over her. Inara smiled, gave Kaylee a light, reassuring kiss on the top of her head, and urged her forward. Swallowing thickly, she stepped onto the catwalk above the cargo bay and began to descend the stairs, trying not to trip over her ankle length skirt.

Simon heard soft footsteps echoing on the metal stairs behind him and his breathing increased rapidly. This was it. He stood and turned around, a greeting forming on his lips, but froze when he saw her. Saw her slim form enveloped in dark green satin, trimmed with gold. He gaped at her, gaped at how the gold from the outfit and necklace she was wearing set off colours in her hair, making it dance and shimmer. When she finally looked up to meet his eyes, he could see the green reflected there, making her eyes seem deeper and more beautiful than he'd ever dreamed. His eyes never left her for a second as she descended the stairs; he was doubtful that he even blinked once. When she was finally standing in front of him, looking bashful, he fought to find his voice. "Wo de ma..." he breathed, eyes wide as he took in the sight of her before him. He'd always thought she was the most beautiful young woman in the world, and this image of her just blew his mind. Kaylee smiled, her cheeks reddening. "That a good "wo de ma?" she asked somewhat timidly, looking up at him through her long eyelashes. Simon nodded fervrently, his eyes still drinking in her features. Her blush deepened, and she was sure that for one second she heard a faint giggle, from where she had left Inara. She looked up at the door on the catwalk and saw the hem of the Companion's robes disappear. A smile curled her lips as she turned back to Simon; she knew she was in for an "I told you so" from Inara later. She looked expectantly at Simon, waiting for him to say something. Eventually the doctor got control over his vocal chords again and looked down at her, gently touching her cheek with his hand. "You are such a pia liang de xiao jie..." he said softly, making her smile again. He was staring again and she tucked her hair behind her ears, a nervous movement. "So... where're we goin'?" she asked curiously, eyeing Simon's bag. Simon seemed to snap himself out of it and smiled. "You'll see. You all ready?" he asked her. She nodded and he smiled, holding out his hand for her to take. She grinned at him and took his hand, and they opened the doors and headed out into the night. He lead her in silence for a while, the only sound in the night around them was the echoing sounds of their footsteps. They walked over grass through a long field where Serenity had landed, and then on a trail in through a thicket of trees. Simon was watching Kaylee's face as they walked, waiting for her to acknowledge a change in her surroundings. Kaylee suddenly noticed a dim, eerie blue light filtering through the trees and frowned, her brow furrowing in concentration. Simon smiled at her confused face, holding in a laugh as she looked around to find a culprit of the light. "Do you see that?" Kaylee asked after a moment, glancing up at Simon. The doctor momentarily toyed with the idea of denying it to confuse her further, but decided to be nice. "Yes." he answered, squeezing her hand. "What is it?!" "You'll see." he laughed softly as she let out a quiet noise of frustration. Simon knew that seeing this as a surprise would be much better than if he told her, though. A few minutes later, they could see a break in the trees up ahead. "Close your eyes." Simon told her. Kaylee obeyed easily, though when she walked forward she was nervous, trying not to trip over objects she couldn't see. Simon lead her out of the trees and across a small stretch of glass, and onto a wooden platform. Kaylee frowned in puzzlement as her feet clunked on the wooden boards, wondering where on earth they were. Simon put down the bag and stood beside and a bit behind her, wrapping an arm around her from behind and letting his hand rest on her stomach. "Open them." he whispered into her ear. Her eyes flew open, and her jaw fell open as well almost immediately as she gasped. There stretching before them was a vast lake, glowing light blue in the dark night. The light flickered as the water rippled, and Kaylee stared, transfixed. "S'amazing..." she said in awe, her hands resting lightly on the guard rail in front of her, barely noticing Simon's arm around her in her amazement. They were about twenty feet above the lake, a rocky ledge sloped down to the lake below. The platform had obviously been set up for observation, and Kaylee could see by the glow of the lake, a small area off to the right where picnics could be held. After a long moment of staring at the water together, Simon lead her to the picnic area, opened his bag and spread out the blanket. Kaylee still hadn't taken her eyes off the water, was transfixed entirely by it. Simon laughed softly as he tugged at her hand and she didn't move. He scooped her up, prompting a small yelp from her as he held her below the knees and around the back and sat down, placing her on the ground beside him. "Do you want some hot cocoa?" he asked her. "Yes!" she nodded enthusiastically. Suddenly she remembered how much manners meant to him, she added, "Please." Simon smiled and poured her a cup, watching the steam rise in the luke-warm night air. Kaylee took the cup and curled her fingers around the hot ceramic, staring at the water once more. "How's it get like that?" she asked. "All glow-y?" Simon poured himself a cup while he answered. "Its a bacteria in the water that glows. Its not a harmful one, but, as you obviously can see, a beautiful one." he replied. They sipped their drinks in silence for a moment, before Simon put his down. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and pulled her carefully onto his lap, slowly so he didn’t spill her hot chocolate and scald them both. She gave a small, happy laugh that made his heart flutter, and leaned back against him comfortably, his chin resting on her shoulder. After she'd finished most of her hot chocolate she put it aside and swiveled in his lap so she was facing sideways and looking at him. " Thanks for bringing me here, Simon." she said quietly, her eyes shimmering in the glow of the lake. Simon smiled and brushed some hair out of her face. "I knew you would love it." he told her softly. She smiled and leaned her forehead against his, shivering slightly as the silken material of her clothes slid over her skin when she moved. Simon pulled her closer, his arms wrapped around her middle. "You look so beautiful tonight, Kaylee." he said sincerely, rubbing her side with his thumbs as he held her. She was glad it was dark because she blushed again. "Inara gave me this to wear... its so beautiful, and this necklace, and the sandals..." she sighed wistfully. "And tomorrow its back to the same ol' boring Kaylee." Simon shook his head. "You're never boring, Kaylee. You're beautiful, and cheerful, and... and just.. you." he emphasized the last word positively, adoration lacing his tone. She looked at him quietly, not sure what to say. Simon watched the way her lips moved as she fought to speak, and his heart was fighting against his mind to kiss her. Do it, Simon. He pulled her a tiny bit closer. No, its too soon. He loosened his grip on her a tiny bit. Do it! He swallowed thickly and just as she was stringing words together to deny that she was anything special, he took a leap of faith and leaned in, taking her lips in his. He felt her inhale sharply in surprise, but was heartened when she didn't pull away. Contrary to that, after a moment she gently rested a hand on his neck and kissed him back. Kaylee's heart was pounding so hard she was sure it was about to break right out of her ribcage. Her whole body was tingling, and the hand she rested on Simon's neck very gently traced absent-minded circles on his skin, making him shiver pleasantly. After a long while Simon slowly pulled away far enough so that their lips weren't touching, but their foreheads were pressed together, noses bumping each other. They could taste each other's shaky breath on their lips, and they didn't speak. After a long moment they came together naturally, as if by a silent agreement, and gently Simon lay Kaylee down on the blanket and kissed her passionately, yet still managed to keep it gentle.

*****

River wandered around Inara's shuttle, looking at all the decorations. Unlike Kaylee, she'd only been in there a few times, but she liked to look at all of the decor. It reminded her of home, which gave her mixed feelings. So after a while she curled up on Inara's bed, watching the Companion wander around a newsletter on the cortex. "Water... overflows..." murmured River, seconds before Inara's screen changed to an article entitled "Flood devastates large neighborhood on Londinium". Inara blinked in surprise, glanced at River and then back at the article, which she skimmed, deemed as boring and closed. She sighed and turned away from the screen, looking at River collapsed on her bed. "I hope the Shepherd feels better soon." said Inara conversationally, referring to the fact that Book was sick, which was why Inara was watching River. River shrugged. "He will. Soon. Even now, he doesn't feel bad. Doesn't want to watch her. Thinks she's troubled. She is." River said quietly into Inara's silk sheets. The Companion got up and sat down beside her, gently stroking her hair. "I'm sure that’s not what he thinks. He worries about you." River looked up at her. "So do you." she said, almost accusingly. Inara was saved answering as River suddenly gasped, sitting straight upright. "What is it!?" Inara asked, alarmed by the look on River's face. River held up a hand to silence her, the young girl looking like she was being hit with a migraine; her face was scrunched into a pained look. "Water..." River whispered, looking scared.

*****

Simon lay down beside Kaylee several long, deep kisses later, and looked up at the night sky, watching the odd shooting star flickering by high above them. They were contentedly silent, both extremely pleased by what had just transpired. They lay there a long time, not speaking, not thinking, just feeling each other's body as they pressed near each other and looked up at the seemingly endless space above them. Simon suddenly felt Kaylee shiver, a movement which she'd tried to hold in. "Come on, you're cold." he said softly, sitting up. She sat up reluctantly, looking at him. "Its alright, its getting late anyway. Besides, we have tomorrow." he said with a smile. She smiled back and nodded, and watched as Simon put the thermos and their cups back into his bag. Simon felt the small box as he put the cups away and pulled it out, looking at Kaylee with a smile. "Here, this is for you." he told her, holding out the box for her to take. She took it with a curious gleam in her eyes, and opened the lid. A delighted look came over her face and let out an adorable happy noise, which made Simon want to hug her. Kaylee's eyes feasted on the ripe, plump strawberries, and Simon expected her to take one and eat it then. But she surprised him by closing the box and kissing him thankfully. After she pulled away, she smiled and tucked the box back into his bag. "I'll save 'em for the mornin'." she told him, already eagerly awaiting breakfast time. He nodded with a grin and helped her stand up, and then folded up the blanket as she straightened her outfit. "Can we look one more time before we go?" she asked him. He nodded and she ran over to the platform as he finished gathering their stuff. He smiled at her enthusiasm and bent to put the folded blanket in the bag. Kaylee leaned heavily against the guard rail as she saw a fish splash, and made a noise of delight. Unfortunately, that small squeal of excitement was of a loudish sort, and neither of them heard the cracking noise of the guardrail that she was leaning on.

*****

Inara was desperately trying to calm River, stroking the girl's hair and holding her tightly, and just as the Companion thought that she was calming down, River suddenly screamed, two syllables only, in a tone of panic that froze Inara's blood. "KAY-LEE!!!"