Not my ‘verse, I stole it. Not my story, I stole it to. Just wanted to tweak things my way for fun. I believe the only original line is “Simon says”.

You can take the boy out of Hera…

By: Jailbird

Chapter One “In the Cloud, in the Woods”

Early the next morning while Jayne walks down the stairs from the crew bunks to the cargo bay he keeps looking over his shoulder even though no one is there. He walks over to the weight bench lays down and starts his reps. Suddenly he tosses the bar back in its’ stand and says “Gorramit girl! I know your there.”

***

Meanwhile, in the Dining Room, River is standing on the table barefoot on her tiptoes fiddling with the some wires directly overhead when she just suddenly starts giggling.

*** That evening Simon is sitting on the couch in the passenger lounge just in front of the infirmary with Kaylee squarely on his lap. He’s in a crisp white shirt, while she’s wearing a floral Chinese tee shirt under her remarkably grease free coveralls. Which is a change as of late, since they are dressed at all and a full twenty minutes before dinner to boot. River skips in from the cargo bay and stops in front of the young couple.

“Good to see you up, trust everyone’s feeling better.” River states slyly.

Simon retorts. “Yes mei mei, and your looking rather chipper.”

“Nice of the Captain to give us this break.” Kaylee trying to make small talk with the mind reader

River says. “We need the rest.”

Simon agrees that more here needed mending than just the ship. “Yeah, but we’re just sitting here in this cloud, not like the Captain…. I would’ve though he would be trying too line up some new and exciting crime.”

Kaylee wiggles just a bit in Simon’s lap and states “But I like just sitting here.”

“I like you sitting there to… however we’re just floating here in space.” Says Simon as he tries to hold out his arms to impersonate weightlessness and fails terribly because of the grease monkey in his lap. “And exactly why are we still here.”

River deadpans. “I’m not done here, yet.”

Kaylee inquires. “Really what have you been up to?” She really didn’t know what any of the crew were up to. For the last four days she and Simon have been held up in his room. “Getting ready.” River says as she looks around the ceiling. “For our new nav computer.”

“Really and where is this computer coming from?” Simon questions.

“Out there.” River plainly states as she jesters with her hand to the ceiling.

“Like space?” Simon says with more than a little dought.

“Yeah, exactly like space.” River says like she stating a well-known fact.

“O.K. but why is the captain still here?” Simon wonders just how much his sister really knows.

“He’s haunted.” River says in one of her many creepy tones.

“Like the ship has ghost.” Kaylee says jokingly. “Well, I need to wash up for dinner.” As she jumps off Simon’s lap and heads back to the passenger dorms with just a little wink over her shoulder to Simon.

Simon starts to give chase when River calls to him. “Simon?”

Simon stops and turns to his sister. “Yes, mei mei.”

“She really loves you.”

“And I love her too…” Simon comes to the realization of what his sister is only pointing out. “ …I really love her.”

“Not me, BOOB, tell her.” River says as she cocks her head and crinkles her brow.

Simon turns and almost runs after Kaylee.

***

TBC