River was watching him. It wasn't the first time she had observed Jayne. She knew just where to sit or stand in every room (other than the bunks) without being noticed. Currently she was laying down on the platform leading to the spare shuttle, watching Jayne lift weights in the cargo bay.

She noticed the way Jayne's biceps bulged everytime he curled up a barbell, listened eagerly to the grunts he made as the weights became more burdensome on his arms. Her mind flashed back to his thoughts last night. He had imagined being buried deep inside of her, listening to her soft cries of pleasure.

As Jayne slowly ended his weights session, River decided to go down and talk to him. She had taken extra care to pick her clothes out today. She wore the dress she'd worn at the maidenhead on Beaumonde the night she was triggered. She hoped it would remind Jayne of how aroused he'd gotten when she grabbed hold of his crotch.

River walked down the stairs silently, her bare feet making almost inaudible whispers against the metal. Jayne didn't even hear her until she spoke.

"You want to be strong. Protect." Jayne practically jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice. He turned and scowled at River.

"Gorrammit, Crazy, why'dja go and do somethin' like that? Ain't right sneakin' up on a person." River just smiled happily.

"Simon protects Kaylee, but he doesn't lift weights." She hoped that was enough of a hint to show Jayne that she wanted to be protected the same way.

"That boy ain't got time to lift weights. Too busy ruttin' on lil' Kaylee. 'Course I guess you could call that exercise too." Jayne's eyes gazed off, a smile lighting his face. He really liked that kind of exercise. He just wished he could get it more often.

"He likes being close to her. Touching. You like touching too." She walked around him as she spoke, admiring his body, thinking about holding him as she fell asleep. She shuddered softly.

"Well, yeah. Sexin' is nice, and it feels really good when they... Hey! Gorrammit, Girl, this ain't a subject the doc would be too keen on me discussin' with his little sister."

"Fine. I'm going to go pleasure myself." River smiled happily, as though she'd said something as simple and innocent as "I'm going to make a sandwich." and then walked toward her bunk.

When Simon came in a few moments later, Jayne's mouth was still hanging slightly open and he hadn't moved a muscle since River had left the room. Simon looked at him in amusement.

"You look like you just saw Inara naked." Jayne blinked and looked at Simon. He really hoped the doc hadn't seen River talking to him. Jayne swallowed thickly, eyes still wide.

"I'll be in my bunk"

*****

Kaylee was working in the engine room, her coveralls greased worse than they'd been in a good month. She was singing softly to herself while fixing one of the entry couplings. Her stomach was getting rumbly, so she slid out from under the engine and stood up.

As she walked to the galley, she saw Simon making some food. She grinned and pulled up behind him quietly. She raised her hand and poised it carefully, waiting for the right moment to--

"Don't even think about it Kaylee." Simon smiled. She was trying to smack his ass and he knew it. She'd gotten away with it a couple times, but usually Simon could feel her standing behind him, and he caught her before she had the chance.

He turned around to see Kaylee giving him a cute pout. He just smiled and gave her a soft kiss before handing her a bowl of noodles.

"Thought you might be hungry." Kaylee smiled happily as Simon led her to the dining table. They sat down next to each other and she grabbed a pair of chopsticks from their container.

"You read my mind, sweetie." Kaylee took a big bite of the noodles and moaned happily. "Ooh, Simon! These are yummy! What's in 'em?"

"Love." River walked into the galley from where her bunk was. She went to the pot Simon had been working from and served up another bowl of the noodles for herself. She sat down on the other side of Simon, munching happily. "He used my recipe."

Simon looked at River with a small hint of worry. "Mei mei, your cheeks are flushed, are you feeling alright?" He went to feel River's forehead, but she just shook her head.

"I'm fine Simon. Was lying down." River tried her hardest to appear as though she had not just had an orgasm in her bunk.

"Did you have a nightmare?" She hadn't had nightmares for at least four weeks, and Simon was concerned that they may be starting again.

"Have to be asleep to have nightmares. Wasn't asleep." River started chewing on another mouthful of noodles.

"Then what were you doing that made you so flush, mei mei?" Simon finally put his hand to her forehead, noticing the light sheen of sweat that hadn't yet dissipated.

"Just lying down. Wasn't doing anything." She quickly finished her noodles and left the galley before Simon could ask anymore questions.

*****

"It was probably nothin' Simon. You shouldn't worry yourself." Kaylee was following after Simon toward the infirmary. He went immediately to his favorite medical text, thumbing through it to find River's "symptoms".

"She was flushed and nervous. I think maybe something happened she's too afraid to tell me." He found what he was looking for and scanned the possible diagnoses for something that seemed plausible.

"Well maybe she don't wanna tell ya 'cause it's not somethin' you should be worryin' on." Kaylee put her hands to Simon's back, trying to calm him. "Besides, she didn't even seem to know she was flush 'till you mentioned it. If somethin' was wrong, I'd think she'd tell ya."

"Mei mei, Simon? Is something wrong?" Inara had noticed them through the infirmary windows and stopped by to say hello when she noticed Simon's frantic look.

"I think something is wrong with River. She was flushed, sweaty, and nervous. She kept telling me she'd just been laying down, but I think she's not telling me something."

Inara bit back a curse. "Simon, sit down. Nothing is wrong with River. I had that talk with her last night." Simon turned his head toward Inara and sat down on the exam chair.

"What happened?" His sister had been asking a flurry of sexual questions over the last week or so. It was starting to unnerve Simon. This was not a talk for a brother to tell his younger sister. It was something his mother should be doing.

"River is a few days from her eighteenth birthday, Simon." Inara took her time finding the right words. The last thing she wanted was for Simon to freak out. "She's feeling arousal, and it's something she probably has only been experiencing for a couple of months. She's curious about it. She sees you and Kaylee acting out on your passion, and she has questions."

Simon exhaled sharply. River was his baby sister. He'd just brushed off her questions as ways to make Simon uncomfortable. He'd never considered that River was growing into a woman, or that she had never been told what to expect.

"Is she... How is she adjusting?" Kaylee saw the worry come back to Simon's face, so she slipped her hand in his, squeezing it gently in comfort.

"She's fine Simon. Obviously very curious. She seems to feel comfortable discussing her questions with me." Inara hoped Simon couldn't see that she was leaving out the part where River had a crush on Jayne. If he found out, there would be big problems aboard Serenity.

"Well, at least she's found someone who can answer her questions. If you have no objections, I would appreciate it if you would continue helping River during this transition. Personally, I'm rather unprepared to answer any of her inquiries." He looked at both Inara and Kaylee, noticing their small smiles at his apprehension. "There are just some things a brother should not have to discuss with his little sister."

"You have been kinda wound pretty tight whenever she opens her mouth, Simon." Kaylee tried not to giggle. Poor Simon had to pretty much raise his sister over the last year.

"That's because everytime she opens her mouth, she's asking me about orgasms." Simon shook his head. "I've already had to explain to her why she gets her menstrual cycle, why her breasts are growing, and how to shave her underarms. I really don't want to have to discuss sex with her."

*****

Jayne came out of his bunk, making sure no one was around before bringing out his dirty laundry. He did not need anyone asking him why he had so many dirty washrags. He walked to the laundry room and turned the sink on as hot as it would go.

"You're washing babies." Jayne practically jumped a foot in the air. He spun around and saw River watching him.

"What is your damage, Girl? Didn't we have a discussion on you not sneakin' up on me like that?" He went back to vigorously scrubbing his dirty rags.

"Half babies down the drain. Never had a chance." River gently chewed at her bottom lip, watching Jayne intently.

"What are you babblin' about, Moonbrain? Just doin' my laundry."

"Ejaculate. Each sperm contains half the DNA to create a baby. You're washing away half babies."

Jayne dropped his rags in the sink. That was the last thing he'd expected the crazy girl to have been babbling about. He turned the water off and looked at River.

"Girl, you got a smutty mind. Now I don't know where you're gettin' such a moonbrained idea, but you're wrong."

"No I'm not. You were masturbating in your room."

Shit. Sometimes Jayne really hated that she was a reader. Sometimes he could lie his way out of her truths, but if she knew he'd been beatin' his dick like it owed him money, then she knew damn well what he'd been thinkin' about.

"My breasts aren't that big." River pushed her chest out to show Jayne the difference between her real breasts and the ones he'd been imagining.

*****

Mal sat in the pilot seat. Wash's seat. It tore him up somethin' fierce that Wash was gone. But there wasn't anything he could do about it. He smiled gently at the dinosaurs arrayed over the control panel. Even if Malcom Reynolds didn't believe in God any longer, he still had to believe that Wash was somewhere a person might call Heaven.

Lately Zoe couldn't bring herself to come into the cockpit of Serenity unless it was absolutely necessary. Mal couldn't blame her. She'd lost her husband fighting for something she didn't feel was worth the loss. She believed in the general principle of what Mal wanted to do, she just didn't think it had been worth risking their lives for.

As his thoughts wandered, Inara stood in the doorway, just watching him for a moment. He could smell her perfume, but he didn't ask her to come in or leave. He just sat there silently. Inara stepped in slowly, resting her hand on Mal's shoulder.

"My pilot's gone, Inara. Feels like he took the ship with him. Ain't much laughter left on this boat." Mal turned his head so that Inara couldn't see his face.

"But there is still happiness blooming on Serenity, Mal. And Wash would have been the first to notice it."

"You mean lil Kaylee and the Doc? Yeah, they're a fine couple at that. Although, River seems keen on embarrassing all of us at the table with a play by play of their bedroom antics."

Inara smiled. "I believe that is part of the job description of a little sister. Embarrass your older siblings every chance you get."

"I believe you're right about that. Just wish I knew how to help Zoe."

*****

Zoe was checking the cargo they'd received from Persephone earlier in the week. An old business associate of Badger's had asked Mal to transport some food to an outer rim planet. In return, the crew would receive 45% of the take and would be allowed a 10% discount on any food they wished to purchase once the trade had been made successfully. Everything was still there, and nothing had gone bad. Three crates of vegetables, two of fruit, and four of bread, noodles and other grains.

They would be landing on the drop off planet in about three more days. In the meantime, Zoe was trying to busy herself to keep her mind off Wash. She was fine most of the time. She always seemed to find something that needed doing on this old boat. Sometimes she just cleaned up in the galley, organizing things, washing dishes left in the sink. Other times she actually had orders from the captain.

The only times she really had an issue was when she went to bed, or when she saw Simon and Kaylee together. Zoe loved Kaylee, and she was happy for her, but seeing those two holding hands, laughing with one another and arriving to mealtimes extremely late, made Zoe feel a bit detached. She knew Wash would have immediately given them his blessing by embarrassing them mercilessly, but Wash wasn't here, and Zoe was still grieving. She wasn't ready to see another couple happy when she couldn't be.

As she went toward the cockpit, Zoe had to stop short to hold back the tears. It was too much for her knowing that when she entered the room, her husband wouldn't be there. But she needed to speak to the Captain, so she took a deep, shaky breath and continued on.

"Just checked the cargo, Sir." She walked in with as much confidence as she could muster. Inara pulled away from Mal a little bit, turning her head to look at Zoe. "Everything seems fine. Nothin' gone to rot, and nothin' missing." Her eyes purposely avoided Wash's dinosaurs, and she had to stop herself from kissing Mal's cheek, mistaking it for a split second for her husband's.

Mal could hear the sadness in his first mate's voice. He cared about Zoe a great deal, but in the years they'd known each other, it was an unsaid rule that they never discussed emotions openly. In the war they had to be strong. And remorse, grief, and fear were signs that a person was too weak to be fightin'. Even though the war was over, neither of them had dropped their emotional defenses.

"Good to hear, Zoe. We should be hittin' Beylix within a few days time. Then we get some nice, cashy money, and all the produce we can eat 'fore it goes sour."

"Good, Sir. If you don't mind, I'd like to go lay down for a spell. Been feelin' a mite tired." Mal turned around to look at Zoe. She did look tired. Dark circles had started to form under her eyes, and her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in a couple of days. In fact, she looked to be wearing the same clothes she wore yesterday. It was time for Mal to break through an old barrier.

"Zoe, you need anything?" He looked at her with a genuine concern. Zoe blinked and took a small step back.

"Doin' fine, Sir. Just didn't sleep too well the last couple nights." More like every night since Wash's death. She knew the captain was trying to help, but she didn't know how to accept it.

"Alright. Go rest then. You gonna be up for supper?"

"I'm not sure, Sir. I'll see what I can do."

*****

Kaylee led Simon back to his bunk. It was still lavishly decorated with the presents Kaylee had bought for Simon the day before. She sat him down on the bed, sitting next to him and rubbing his back.

"You okay, sweetie? You look kinda frazzled." Simon did look rather pensive. He was a little paler than usual, and he was staring at pretty much nothing.

"I had let myself forget that River was going to grow up. She has all the same hormones any other teenage girl has, and through her panic attacks, and Miranda... I had forgotten." He bowed his head and placed his hand over his face, more unsure of what to do for his sister than he had been upon rescuing her.

"Oh, Simon. Inara said she was adjusting just fine. And 'Nara was totally shiny with the idea of continuin' to help River with her questions. You don't have to be worryin' on it. 'Nara's real good with puttin' a girl's mind at ease."

"I take it you've gone to her for a few things as well?" Simon's mouth twitched up in the beginnings of an amused smile. Kaylee just grinned back.

"Oh just some proper doctor I had this real big crush on. He was so swai and pretty, but he was real nervous around me. Couldn't get him to make a move, 'cause he thought it wouldn't be 'appropriate'." Kaylee squealed suddenly as Simon pounced on her, laying her under him on the bed. He pushed his hips into hers, making Kaylee moan softly.

"Appropriate, huh?" He grinned at Kaylee, slowly sliding his hand down her body. "You ever gonna let me live that down?" His hand finally slipped under the waistband of Kaylee's pants, lightly massaging just above where she needed him most.

Kaylee took a moment to catch a shaky breath before answering. "You just confound me some, is all." Simon's hand slipped lower, brushing across the bundle of nerves before moving back away. She mewled softly at the light contact. "You like me well enough, and we get along."

Simon slid a finger softly inside of her, making her cry out a little before continuing.

“Then you go all... stiff on me." She reached for the crotch of his pants, rubbing him through the fabric. "See... you're doin' it now."

Simon moaned softly, using his free hand to unfasten his pants, while pushing a second finger inside Kaylee. Once he'd freed himself from the confines, Kaylee wrapped her hand around his length, stroking slowly. Simon groaned softly. "Always gone all stiff around you. Even back then." His fingers continued working inside of Kaylee, every movement bringing a higher pleasure.

Kaylee suddenly grabbed Simon's shirt and pulled him to her, kissing him with intense passion. Simon kept pushing Kaylee closer to the edge with his fingers as they kissed, making her cry out loudly against his lips. She was so close, but she wanted to hold off on release until he was inside of her. She started stroking him harder, still kissing him fervently.

Simon stopped fingering Kaylee, making her whimper until she realized he needed both his hands to remove his clothes completely. While he tossed his pants and shirt aside, Kaylee did the same with her clothes as well. As soon as both were finished, he lay back over Kaylee, sliding into her without any warning. Kaylee called out Simon's name, her inner walls tightening around his length.

"God... Kaylee." Simon gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the loud groan he desperately wanted to let out. He didn't want to ruin this with Jayne clomping in, trying to get a peek at what they were doing. Kaylee's eyes were screwed shut, her back arched. Just having him inside her, without movement was giving her such intense pleasure. Finally Simon started moving within her, making both of them gasp. His pace was slow, but profound, and Kaylee met him thrust for thrust.

It didn't take long before both of them cried out, simultaneously quickening their rhythm until it started to race. Simon began panting hard, while Kaylee started moaning loudly at every thrust. Neither could tell who climaxed first, just that it was powerful enough to make them both a little lightheaded. Simon buried his head in the crook of Kaylee's neck, muffling his shout against her skin. Kaylee practically arched off the bed, silently screaming with the intensity of her release.

It took them several minutes to come back to their bodies, both left breathless and panting. Finally Kaylee kissed the shell of Simon's ear before whispering. "Well, Doctor Tam, maybe you should go all stiff on me more often."

*****

As River finished setting the table, everyone started making their way into the galley. Inara and Zoe had prepared the food, and the delicious scent of it could almost be smelled all the way in the cockpit. Simon pulled out a chair for Kaylee, noticing as she sat down that Jayne's napkin had been folded into a flower.

River just avoided his eyes, so he let the subject go without trying to ask her reasons. River sat down next to her brother as the rest of the crew found their seats. Jayne was about to move his napkin off his plate when he noticed it's shape.

"Who set this table?" He looked around at everyone, finally seeing River's eyes on him. "You did this? What in the hell made ya put my napkin all girly for?"

River started nervously tugging the end of her skirt with her hands. "River's flood. Nourishes the land. Life grows." Oh God, River really hoped her brother didn't know what she meant.

Jayne just wrinkled his nose and shook out his napkin. "Gorram moonbrain. Ya know, one of these days, I'm gonna figure out what's in that cute little head of yours."

River just smiled and began serving herself. "I already know what's in yours."