Kaylee was layin’ down under the engine beside Jayne. givin’ directions and chattering.

“Simon says I can get the cast off as soon as we pick up the Shepherd.”

Kaylee didn’t know what she was so excited ‘bout. Oh she was dying to have her arm back, to be able to do things for herself, to look after Serenity. But being better meant seeing a lot less of Jayne, she wouldn’t need his help so much in the engine room.

This last couple of weeks since their fishin’ expedition, and her touchin’ him, they’d been together even more than usual.

The Captain had got them out of the tussle with the other ship but that ended with Serenity’s engine and electrics all needin’ work. She, Jayne and Wash had spent days repairin’ the damage.

She’d been sleepin’ better to, after a day repairin’ all the damage, Kaylee was so tired that the bad dreams had no chance. When she did dream, she dreamt of Jayne, irritatin’ man! Her plan of goin’ slow was frustratin’ her all to hell.

******************************

Jayne was goin’ crazy with Kaylee so close to him. The space under the engine was a tight fit when it was just him, with her there they were really scrunched up. Hips and shoulders touched, her hair got in his eyes and her feet kept nudging his. Every time she reached across him to point out somethin’ he missed, her breast would rub against his side.

The next time she reached over he weren’t expectin’ it and he jerked his arm in surprise catchin’ his knuckles on the sharp engine.

“Gorram it,” Jayne pulled himself out from beneath the engine knuckles drippin’ blood everywhere.

“Here, let me look.” Kaylee took his hand as she picked up the first aid kit, shakin’ her head at him when he started backin’ away.

“Don’t be a baby.” She started cleaning the cut with a wet swab.

Jayne watched the top of her head as she concentrated on his hand. It weren’t the pain that was buggin’ him; it was Kaylee’s intoxicatin’ touch. He kept imaginin’ her clever little hands all over his body, not just on his hand.

He was deep in his imaginins when Kaylee blew across his knuckles to dry the wound. Unable to stop himself, he groaned.

Kaylee looked up in surprise; afraid she was hurtin’ him and was drownin’ in Jayne’s blue eyes. She dropped his hand and he drew her closer. One calloused finger traced along the edge of her shirt just at the top of her breasts. His other hand was restin’ on her stomach in the gap between her shirt and coveralls.

Kaylee’s breath hitched as the fingers on her stomach started makin’ little circles on her skin, movin’ slowly down inside her coveralls. The thumpin’ of her heart deafenin’ her, eyes still locked with his, she lent forward and brushed her lips against the pulse in Jayne’s throat.

“Kaylee,” a voice called, “time for your needles.”

Jayne stilled and snatched his hands away moving them back quickly to grasp her elbows when her knees buckled. Depositin’ her gently into her hammock, he avoided Kaylee’s eyes as he turned and barrelled out the door knockin’ into the doctor as he went.

Seein’ the doctor come in med-kit in hand Kaylee frowned shakily, “Simon ya have the worst timin’.”

***************************

“It’s your turn.”

“Why is it my turn? You’re the Captain.” Wash whined.

“Zoë won’t interfere, I talked to ‘em last time and I’m the Captain. I’m ordering you t’ talk to Kaylee, if I have to sit through another dinner like last night I might kill someone.”

Last night at dinner Kaylee had frowned at Jayne and Jayne had frowned at Kaylee. Neither saying anything to the other, their silent argument had affected everyone at the table; everyone that was, except the doctor.

Simon was concentrating on his sister and didn’t even notice when Jayne got up half-way through eating and left the room, Kaylee’s eyes following him wistfully.

“Alright,” Wash agreed.

Always friends with the bubbly mechanic, he’d been surprised when he got quite friendly with Jayne while they were repairing Serenity. He’d like to help them out if he could.

“But you have to come with me for moral support.”

***************************

Kaylee was miserable. Jayne had already left the ship. That meant one thing with him, he was goin’ whorin’.

“Is there a problem Kaylee?” Wash’s voice was concerned.

She looked up to see both the pilot and Captain hoverin’ over her. The Captain was standin’ back tryin’ not to listen.

“Problem,” Kaylee echoed avoiding his eyes.

“Come on Kaylee, you ‘n’ Jayne have been joined at the hip for weeks. But last night at dinner you didn’t say one word to each other, and Jayne’s already gone off somewhere this morning, without his breakfast. That man don’t go nowhere without eatin.”

Kaylee needed to talk to someone, to stop herself from thinkin’ ‘bout what Jayne might be up to planet side. She was so jealous it was eatin’ her up.

“He touched me Wash; Jayne actually gave in ‘n’ touched me, like he really wanted me.” Kaylee hugged herself. “Then Simon came and he stopped, just stopped.”

“You didn’t want him to stop?”

“No way, it’s taken me weeks to get him that far.” Kaylee’s voice wobbled. “Why’d he stop?”

“Maybe ‘cause Jayne thinks you and Simon are still an item.”

“Aside from ship things, I haven’t been with Simon for weeks. Jayne knows that ‘n’ he knows I want him.”

“Does he?” Wash answered her questioning look. “Have you been specific, told Jayne in words what you want?”

“Well no.” Kaylee shook her head, “but I’ve been pretty obvious ‘bout wanting him.”

Wash clutched his head “What’s obvious to a women, isn’t always obvious to a man. Take the word of an old married man. The men you’ve been involved with before, who were they like?”

Wash sighed when she shook her head at him, not understanding. “Every man I’ve ever seen you ‘go out’ with is like Simon, pretty boys with mostly ordinary jobs, no-one like Jayne. If it was me I’d be thinking you only wanted me ‘cause there wasn’t one of them around.”

He was pleased when he saw the arrested expression in both Kaylee’s and the Captain’s eyes.

The Captain put his arm around Kaylee’s shoulders. “Simon needs to get some medical supplies, you go with him, and talk to him.”

“Then when you get back, you talk to Jayne. Tell him everything, spell it out for him. Sort yourselves out.” That’s an order, I want some peace on my ship.

***************************

Kaylee glanced sideways at Simon as they walked along. Wash did have a point, she decided. Her tastes had always run to the pretty ones, and if Wash was aware of it Jayne would be to. The man always saw more than ya wanted him to.

“Ya know we ain’t an item any more, don’t ya Simon?” She sighed “not that we ever were really.”

“No, I didn’t know.” Simon was hurt.

Except for gettin’ her needles, havin’ checkups and seein’ him at dinner, Kaylee hadn’t talked with the doctor privately for weeks and Simon hadn’t even noticed. Just like he hadn’t noticed yesterday that he’d interrupted somethin’, that she was flustered.

“Jayne said…” Simon trailed off. He was stumbling again.

Kaylee stopped dead in the middle of the street, causing him to stop too. “Jayne said what?”

She stood there and listened to Simon’s account of his conversation with Jayne. To Simon’s surprise Kaylee wasn’t at all shocked by Jayne’s interference. If anything she appeared to be happy.

“Jayne just got it a bit wrong Simon,” Kaylee was tryin’ to let him down gently.

“I did like you, a lot. But we didn’t fit, not really. I made such a play for ya that till recently everyone, includin’ Jayne, think I’m still hung up on ya.”

“I certainly thought so.” Simon was rueful. “May I ask when things changed?”

“When ya didn’t notice me,” Kaylee was blunt. “Jayne does, though he won’t it admit it. Wish I knew why.”

Though at least now, thanks to Wash she had some idea of what Jayne might be thinkin’. She was gonna give that man a talkin’ to as soon as they got back to the boat.

“What’s that?” Kaylee became aware of a lot of shoutin’ comin’ from behind them. They both turned their heads to see crowds of people milling around, some carrying placards, and some carrying guns, all angry and agitated. As they watched the local law arrived carrying a plethora of weapons.

“I think we better be gettin’ back to Serenity.” Kaylee muttered nervously. “We’ll have to go round the long way to avoid that crowd.”

Simon nodded and picked up his purchases, turning to walk in the opposite direction.

The infuriated sounds from the mob of people drew his attention again and as Kaylee turned to hurry him along the crowd descended shouting and screaming and that was when he lost Kaylee.