I had such trouble writing Simon, please tell me what you think? Set post the BDM.

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Stir

Simon following the recipe carefully looked over at Inara as he stirred the ingredients to and fro and let his thoughts roam.

Cooking was one of the shared duties he abhorred, probably because he was so bad at it. Until he had come on board Serenity Simon had never set foot inside a kitchen, let alone had to cook in one.

Back home on the estate his parents had employed a chef and various assistants to produce their food. He had never given a thought to the effort required to produce a palatable meal, or had to think about where the next meal was coming from.

He wished that were still so. Instead he, like everyone else on board was fixated on food; the taste of it, the preparation of it and the procuring of it.

The need to procure food led to the taking of jobs that were in his opinion bordering on insanity, even more so now that the Captain insisted on including River in his attempts at crime.

River herself was all too willing to be included, she like some of the others on board, would follow the Captain anywhere. Kaylee, Zoë, even Jayne, who argued ferociously against Mal’s plans, usually wound up following him headlong into danger.

The only person, beside himself, who actually stood firm against the Captain, was Inara. She saw things more clearly, as he did. She thought more rationally was more balanced and was less likely to give into her passions than other people on board.

Now there was the real source of his discontent, Kaylee. He was attracted to the girl, certainly had desired her, but he had difficulty coping with her quick fire enthusiasms, her feet first approach to life.

He preferred cool, calm rational women. Women like Inara. The only thing he knew against the companion was her attraction to the Captain and he thought she was moving away from that. Like was calling to like.

Now that the Guild had suspended her, she would need someone to ground her, keep the balance. That would be he.

They had discussed it, Inara only baulking at hurting Kaylee. But Simon had assured her that he would break up with the girl. That he hadn’t yet done so was bothering him. He left the food for a moment to sit beside her and they ended up embracing, kissing.

Cooking, food, everything was forgotten, till a sound from the doorway drew their attention and Simon looking up saw Mal and Kaylee standing there.

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Burn

In her quest to become more like a normal girl River had asked Kaylee to teach her how to cook. Kaylee of course had been only too pleased to help and had embarked on the cooking lessons with enthusiasm.

River enjoyed both the lessons and the cooking. Surprisingly she had discovered that cooking was in some ways similar to a mathematical equation. Adding a tomato to a stew could create a totally different taste sensation to when you added a potato.

On good days cooking was fun, a matter of giggling and talking with Kaylee. On bad days the repetitive nature of food preparation calmed her and Jayne sat at the kitchen table and cleaned his weapons.

While Jayne sat and cleaned his weapons and she cooked the Captain, fearing the mercenary’s motives, would come by periodically to check on them.

River was aware that Jayne’s motives as always were protective. So she and the mercenary had an unspoken agreement between them. If she in any way endangered the crew he would shoot her without hesitation. If anything happened to him, she would protect Kaylee.

Of course she was predisposed to protect Kaylee anyway. Because with the exception of the aftermath of their disagreement with Niska, the girl made no distinction between River’s bad and good days, treating her always with a mixture of motherly friendliness which was a balm to her soul.

She needed that balm and Jayne’s vigilance today as it was a bad day and she could feel her brain begin to burn.

The boiling vegetables generated too much heat and the kitchen became oppressive reminding her of the lab at the Academy. Needles were coming toward her; she raised her arms to sweep them away knocking boiling pot and fry pan onto the stove.

“Burning, burning” River’s voice rose.

Jayne was out of his chair and moving Kaylee out of the way, grasping River’s elbow and thrusting her into the Captain’s arms. Because he was there, comforting and strong, unconscious that he was always watching and protecting her, leading her now away from the dining area.

“Albatross and the big cat, killers both, like knows what like desires.” River looked back towards the two in the kitchen, to where it was obvious that Jayne was trying to stop himself from cuddling Kaylee.

Time for her to indicate where her feelings lay, “only death will move him from her side River laid her head on the Captain’s chest “and only death will move her from his.”

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Melt

Kaylee was hummin’ to herself as she cooked the evenin’ meal. She had some real vegetables to mix with the protein and flour to make bread. It was gonna be the first half-way decent meal they’d had in a long time.

Jayne sat at the table puzzlin’ over his writin’. Grippin’ his pen like it was some instrument of death, frownin’ at the paper, growlin’ under his breath; letters home were torture for the man.

The first time he’d come to write letters was after the trouble with Tracey. It’d been her turn to cook dinner that night too. Her hands were shakin’ as she cooked and she was feelin’ all mixed up ‘n’ anxious when Jayne stomped in.

He’d sat down and started writin’, mutterin’ away when he couldn’t get a word right till she gave in ‘n’ started helpin’ him with the spellin’ and such. When they’d finished Jayne stayed sittin’ at the table, keepin’ her company.

He’d sat there again after their problems with Early, and again after Miranda. In the months since she and Simon had stopped seein’ each other, Jayne had become sort of a fixture in the kitchen when she was there. When River and she were cookin’ together the man sat there cleanin’ his guns, ever watchful.

When she was on her own, well she weren’t, hardly ever. The man either sat ‘n’ wrote, or played cards, or helped set the table, or he just sat and stared into space. Never invaded hers just sat and waited. Waited – Kaylee felt as dumb as a pile of rocks. Her head spinnin’, she turned from the stove and looked at Jayne.

“Ya waitin’ for somethin’?”

He stood up and crossed over to stand beside her, clear blue eyes searchin’ her face, “the same thing I’m always waitin’ for.”

Kaylee tilted her head and raised her eyebrows at him. “Would that be me?”

“None other bao bei.” He tangled his fingers in her hair pullin’ her close to his body as she ran her fingers down his arm, “none other.”

They stood starin’ at each other for the longest time. Kaylee became conscious of an odd smell in the air; Jayne blew lightly against the nape of her neck sendin’ shivers down her spine. “Ya plannin’ on burnin’ dinner tonight?”

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Simmer

Zoë stared into the pot, looking for answers. They never came. No matter how hard she looked, there were no answers as to why her man had to die.

She was tired of looking, of being depressed. Wash wouldn’t like all the moping; he would be the first to try joking her out of the dismals. Probably treat her to some sort of morality play acted out with dinosaurs.

It was time for her to do something about the way she was acting. It was time to for her – to listen to the gorram smoke detector.

At the sound of the smoke detector Kaylee and Jayne came rushing in; he grabbing the fire extinguisher and Kaylee was pulling her out of danger.

Kaylee cuddled her close and for once Zoë allowed the friendly contact. Sinking into the warm comfort offered to her, feeling tears in her eyes.

“Sorry I burnt the dinner,” fancy crying over such a silly thing

“Don’t matter none” Jayne was rummaging around the cupboard. “There’s still plenty of stuff left. Maybe ya can make that soup the little man used to enjoy so much.”

He stopped and looked at Kaylee who was giving him a repressive look “What?”

Zoë patted the girl on the hand as her lips curled upwards involuntarily “Wife soup?” she asked. Almost hearing Wash’s voice giving her soup that silly name, the knowledge that she only made the soup for him making his voice all happy and contented, his blue eyes glowing.

“Yeah, that’s it.” Jayne agreed “best gorram soup I ever tasted.”

Zoë figured maybe she could help herself and help someone just starting out on the relationship rollercoaster. Give her and Wash’s hard won wisdom to those who were gonna need it, starting with teaching Kaylee how to make ‘wife soup’.

She felt lighter than she had in ages as she got up and moved toward the stove. “Want to learn the recipe honey?”

“Sure.”

As Kaylee bounced over Zoë was sure she could hear Wash chuckling in approval.