Title: The Games We Play Rating: R Synopsis: The crew plays a game. Timeline: Takes place 16 and a half months after Serenity, the movie. Notes: Next part of a series beginning with : And So It Begins, Kiss Me, Coming Together, Tell Me, What’s Proper?, Tears , Peekaboo, Impatient, Waking Up is Hard to Do, The Talk, I See You, Exhaustion, Moving Day, Celebration, Surprise , Vacation, Reunion, Manipulation, Baby Talk, A First Time for Everything, The Way It Is, A Special Day, Girl Talk, The Gift, Breaking It In, Making Plans, Friends and Enemies, Where I Belong , Private Time, The Games We Play

Disclaimer: This story is not meant to infringe on the copyright of any person or company related to the trademarked characters and situations depicted in the Serenity movie or Firefly series. I make no money from this. Only done for fun - and a desperate craving to have more stories told about this wonderful ‘verse Joss Whedon created.

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This is effectively the end of the first part of my series. The second part begins with a tremendous amount of angst that continues through the rest of the stories in my series.

I don't know when I will start posting, I want to make sure I have all of the stories nearly completed before I do.

There will be content warnings wherever I can put them without giving away what is going to happen.

Thanks for reading thus far and don't be too upset when you read the first chapter of the next story. Let the rest of the series play out to its end, you may be surprised (or not) where it leads.

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Everyone was talking quietly when Mal finally entered the galley from the crew bunks, noting that everyone was already there. Even Simon and Kaylee, who had been notoriously late for the morning meal for weeks. They talked quietly, pausing only briefly to nod to the Captain as he spooned some flavored protein into a bowl.

Not more than a few minutes later, Inara arrived from the opposite direction, looking none too rested but much more presentable than the Captain.

Suddenly, Jayne cleared his throat and announced loudly, “I don’t know why you two try to hide it. We know you two been ruttin’ like animals for months now.”

Conversation at the table stopped.

Kaylee and Simon, who had been joined at the hip since they’d left Paquin a week ago, simply smiled at one another. Kaylee giggled and Simon simply squeezed her hand beneath the table.

Zoe tried unsuccessfully tried to hide a smile and Jayne’s eyes moved from the Companion to the Captain, a wide, knowing smile plastered across his face.

“You been drinkin’ this early in the mornin’, Jayne?” Mal asked, leaning over to sniff the big mercenary.

“Ha. Funny.” Jayne turned to Kaylee and Simon. “Even with the few hours a day you two ain’t hole up in your room, you know they been at it, right?”

Mal turned pleading eyes on his not-so-innocent little Kaylee.

“He’s right, Cap’n.”

Simon agreed quickly. “We’ve known for months.”

“An ya’ll felt it necessary to bring it up now, why?”

Inara covered a laugh with a delicate hand. She’d known the crew knew what was going on. Had been looking forward to the day someone mentioned it so she could delight in watching Mal squirm. He hadn’t disappointed her yet.

River finally spoke up from where she had been observing the exchanges with an amused grin. “Simon and Kaylee are married now. Picking on them isn’t as fun anymore.”

“Oh, sure it is,” Jayne disagreed at once. “Just this mornin’ I heard ‘em –“

“Thank you, Jayne.” Simon held up his hands and raised his voice in hopes of covering whatever the big brute was about to say. “Can you kindly not discuss this topic at the table?”

“Oh, but you’re fine with the topic of ‘Nara and myself?” Mal raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Of course.” Simon grinned. “It’s about time they find someone else to pick and spy on.”

“I don’t spy,” River protested with a pout.

“You can read our minds, you don’t need to.” Simon shot quickly back, trying to scowl at his sister but failing. He was too happy with his life, with how River had been progressing. There wasn’t much that could ruin it.

“Jayne spies.” River smiled at the man sitting beside her.

“Set one foot in my shuttle unasked and they will have to carry you out on a stretcher.” Inara’s directed the remark at Jayne, and delivered it with such a sweet, amused smile, no one could be certain if she meant it or not.

Jayne frowned at her. “Ah, just admit it an get it over with.”

Inara smiled at Mal who rolled his eyes.

“Fine. Don’t mean any of you need to be consulted or involved in our decisions.”

“Admission is the first step to recovery, Sir.” Zoe directed her comment at the table for fear of busting a gut laughing if she looked at the expression on Mal’s face.

But she needn’t have worried as the table erupted in laughter. Mal simply resigned himself, like Simon had done nearly a year ago now, to just take the crew’s teasing in stride. Because he wasn’t ever going to get them to stop, and the more it bothered him, the more they would continue.

~*~

“You want to get out of bed and go play?” Simon almost didn’t believe it. “A game? With Jayne?”

Kaylee rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. “’Nara and the Cap’n agreed to play too.”

“Ahh, so you just want to go to see what embarrassing information you can get out of them.” He tightened his arms around her bare shoulders and dropped a kiss to her nose.

“’Course. Cap’n teased us enough.” She shimmied up his body and kissed his cheek.

“I’m wounded.” Simon failed to look hurt in any way. “You want to leave our nice, warm, cozy bed and –“

Kaylee’s tongue plunging into his mouth immediately silenced his protest. When they parted, she could feel him swelling against her leg. “We been in bed most a the afternoon.” She kissed him again when he opened his mouth to speak and then continued. “But we go play the game for a few hours, then we can come back here and you can do whatever you want to me.”

“And if we don’t go play the game?” He ran his hands down her back.

The smile disappeared off Kaylee’s face. “You sleep on the couch tonight.”

“Of course I do,” Simon chuckled.

Kaylee kissed him one more time before sliding out of bed.

Simon watched her for a moment before throwing back the sheet and moving to the edge of the bed. “And who said compromise was difficult in a relationship.”

Kaylee giggled and moved into his arms, kissing him deeply and passionately. “You won’t regret it, sweetie.”

His eyes swept down her body as she stepped away to dress. “I never do.”

~*~

“So we gots another week carryin’ whatever’s in them damn crates to Badger’s contact.”

“Shouldn’t trust him,” River said as she spun the bottle and it landed on her brother.

Simon groaned. She’d done nothing but get him all evening. “Let me just take a shot before you even ask.”

Kaylee giggled beside him. The drunker everyone got, the more likely they’d choose to answer the embarrassing questions than take the easy way out and drink the shot.

River cocked her head at her brother. “You don’t know what I’m going to ask.”

Simon paused with the shot glass at his lips. “No doubt something I don’t want to answer.”

River glared at the bottle. “Why can’t you stop on someone fun.”

“Oh, Simon’s plenty fun.” Kaylee leaned against her husband and kissed his cheek.

“Yeah, we hear how fun he is on a regular basis,” Jayne grumbled. “Least Mal and ‘Nara have a shuttle door they can close.”

“Hey!” Mal looked up from where he and Inara were whispered quietly to one another. “No changin’ the conversation. Back to Simon and Kaylee.”

“He won’t answer my question anyway.” River stared at her brother. “Two shots for you because you’re being a pain. And you don’t get to spin. Skip to Jayne.”

Simon frowned. He was going to be drunker than all of them very soon if he kept agreeing to this. Oh well, then the questions wouldn’t seem so invasive.

Jayne spun next and he hooted when the bottle landed on Inara. He hadn’t gotten her all evening. He clasped his hands together as Inara sat stoically waiting for his question. “Kiss Kaylee.”

Inara raised an amused eyebrow at the childish demand.

River turned to Kaylee, whose eyes had widened to large saucers. “Men get aroused by seeing two women kiss.”

“Not all men,” Simon slurred as he rested a possessive hand over his wife’s.

“Not some little innocent kiss either,” Jayne added, slurring his words ever so slightly.

“You can’t add addendums to the rules.” Inara rolled her eyes and stood. She was more sober than anyone so she moved to Kaylee’s side. She patted Simon’s hand and took Kaylee’s face between her hands.

As they kissed, Simon’s eyes got big, Jayne leered appreciatively and Mal swallowed hard. When they parted, Kaylee’s eyes were glazed and she stared at Simon, whose eyes were glued to her face.

Inara moved back to her seat beside Mal and smirked at Jayne while Kaylee giggled at her husband.

Kaylee looked down at their joined hands, leaned forward and whispered into her husband’s ear loud enough for everyone to hear. “Guess all men do get aroused.” Simon was too drunk to blush and not drunk enough to even attempt to deny it.

When Inara spun, the bottle landed on Jayne. She grinned conspiratorially and smacked her lips. Two could play Jayne’s rather immature little game. “I want you to kiss Zoe.”

Zoe leaned away and fixed him with a come-near-me-and-die stare.

Jayne scowled at Inara and then at Zoe, then took the shot glass sitting in front of him and downed its contents. He wasn’t even going to attempt it.

“He didn’t do it, he doesn’t get to spin,” River announced happily and nodded to Zoe.

Zoe spun the bottle and to her great joy it landed on Jayne.

“Gorramit, Crazy. You rigged that thing!” Jayne protested as he stared at Zoe, waiting.

“As childish as it might seem, I want you to give a big, manly kiss to –“ Her eyes swept around the room, finally settling on Mal.

“Oh, I don’t think so.” Mal said, visibly leaning away.

Jayne immediately took another shot and downed it, cursing the female gender in a long string of nearly unidentifiable Chinese.

“Didn’t answer again, Kaylee’s turn.” River said with a small smile.

Kaylee spun and the bottle landed on River. She clapped with glee and asked, “Have you ever kissed a boy? If so, where and when?”

Simon was fair sure he didn’t want to hear the answer and simply turned his attention to Kaylee’s long neck, staring at it almost lustfully as he leaned forward and kissed the smooth skin.

River frowned. “No.”

Kaylee patted River’s hand. “I spin ya again, we’ll correct that t’night.” She tilted her head as Simon’s mouth trailed up to her ear.

Simon’s eyes widened as he leaned away to stare at his wife.

“Oh, sweetie, she’s an adult. She’s allowed to do those things.”

“Not in front of me, she isn’t!” Simon protested, shaking his head as Kaylee tilted her neck again in a very distracting way. “I would rather just not know.” He pulled her closer and buried his face in her neck.

River spun the bottle and it landed on Inara. “Enough of the kissing. Better question. Where is the most exotic place you’ve ever had sex.”

Simon closed his eyes. Really. He should be used to his sister’s questions by now, but every single one of them tonight had been sexual in nature. Maybe he needed to have another talk with her.

River frowned at him, picking up on his very loud, drunken thoughts.

Inara thought long and hard. “Well, hmm. Exotic. Well, it would have to be in a cozy little home high above one of the large jungle reserves on Londinium.”

Jayne’s jaw hit the floor. “Ruttin’ with a –”

Inara rolled her eyes. “The King’s son had his own private acre of land and contracted me for several days. It was –“ Inara trailed off as Mal stared at her. “In the past. But memorable nonetheless.”

Inara spun the bottle next and it landed on River. She smiled gently. This question was easy. “If you could take one thing back in your life, what would it be?”

River shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Nothin’?” Jayne repeated, a look of disbelief on his face. Everyone had something they wish they hadn’t done.

River shook her head hoping she wouldn’t have to explain. She knew they all expected her to say that she wished she hadn’t gone to the Academy but she couldn’t. She and Simon would not be on Serenity if she hadn’t gone to the Academy. If she hadn’t been used as a human experiment. Her brother was truly happy for the first time in his life and she was content. She loved Serenity and the people living here more than anything.

“Nothing.”

Simon reached toward his sister but she just shrugged him off. She spun the bottle and it landed on Jayne. She’d had this question prepped for a while now.

“Why do you never kiss them on the mouth?”

Jayne frowned and took another shot.

River cocked her head at the mercenary and for the first time felt sorry for him.

By the time the evening was done, Jayne, surprisingly, was the drunkest of them all. Everyone left him sprawled on the common room floor and made their way to their bunks.

Kaylee giggled at Simon as she pulled him into their room, sliding the door closed and locking it tightly.

He was intoxicated, but not nearly drunk enough to be useless. She pushed him back onto the bed and undressed slowly, enjoying the feel of his heated gaze as he watched her remove each layer of clothing.

When she straddled him and teased his growing erection through his pants, she leaned forward and whispered, “I want a baby.” To her amusement, he didn’t even protest as she removed his clothes and set to work on her task.

~*~

In the shuttle, Mal and Inara touched and teased one another; slow, languid kisses and caresses passing over heated and swollen flesh. Blemishes that would be well-hidden beneath clothing dotted her fair skin as Mal left yet another on her flat stomach.

Inara cradled his head as it moved lower, his intent only to please her tonight. She gasped daintily when his mouth and tongue reached her wetness, eagerly lapping at the moisture gathered within her damp folds.

When they were finished, Inara lay curled in her lover’s arms, listening to his steady breathing. He wasn’t yet asleep, but caught in that state where one could think they were dreaming.

“Kaylee wants a baby, Mal,” Inara began, a smile curving her lips.

The only response she got was a mumbled reply as he slipped further and further into sleep.

“I want a baby too.”

Mal mumbled for a moment before her words registered in his alcohol and post-coital-numbed brain. His eyes snapped open and he looked disbelievingly down at her.

Her laughter echoed off the shuttle walls as Mal felt his heart plummet into his stomach, only to rise like a lead ball in his throat when he realized she was joking.

Or was she?

END