Life Onboard Serenity: #40 - Burnt Stew, Dinner and a Job

Quote:
Originally posted by JOHNTHETHEATERFREAK:
"When are we going to be at Beylix?"

"Around noon, ship time," Isahiah said, unconcerned with, or altogether oblivious to the fact that the question wasn't addressed to him. "My, don't you look a sorry sight," he added upon seeing that the man also bore the hallmarks of a long, restless night.

"I slept rather horribly myself," he continued. "You could say I was visited by ghosts from a bygone era." He emptied the contents of his mug and set it down on the countertop next to Ivy's.

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BigWolf18 "Way i remember it, you said you was leavin', dare say that saved us a whole peck o' trouble. now i gotta wonder what could spur on a fine disreputable man like yourself to show your fine disreputable face here again."

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008 12:27 PM

GRAYSONCORNWELL

Grayson made his way to the last grain store he had to check. His search for Ivy had not given him any leads, so he was hoping that he would get some positive results here.

He entered the place and looked around. Out of the three stores, this one seemed to have the best selection. This was good. Ivy would have wanted to do the one-stop-shop. The place was pretty deserted right now, but that was OK too. Then he could get some decent answers about Ivy from a worker who didn't have their attention divided.

He looked around until he found an employee restocking a section that specialized in flower bulbs. By the way he was dressed, it was obvious he was the owner.

"Excuse me," Grayson said as he approached the guy. "I was wondering if you could help me."

"Sure, what can I do for you?" the man asked as he stood up.

"My name is Grayson Cornwell with Allied Law Enforcement," Grayson told him as he flashed his indentification. He didn't need to do that, but he was hoping the officialness of the badge would help loosen the man's tongue.

"Yes, sir," the man said, straightening up a little. "I'm always looking to help out the law."

"I was wondering if you had seen this woman in the last few days," Grayson asked as he showed him an alert with Ivy's picture on it. He hadn't needed to make up an alert with her name on it either, but he thought it would make his case stronger.

The owner looked at it for only a couple of seconds.

"Yes. She was in here a couple of days ago. Ordered just about one of everything, including a crate of GenSeed and crop supplements. Her order alone was enough to pay the bills here for three months."

"Do you know where she went?"

"Is she in trouble? Or dangerous? Should I worry if she came back?"

"No, nothing like that. I need her for some questioning."

"Well another customer offered to drop her purchases off at the ship she was leaving on."

Now they were getting somewhere.

"Do you know the name of the ship?"

"Sorry, lawman," he said. "One of my employees handled the arrangements. It wasn't how we do business here. Her cargo could have been left anywhere. That's why we usually deliver it ourselves."

"Could I talk to this employee of yours?"

"I'm afraid I fired the guy for his laziness. No clue where he went off to. I think he went from place to place, no roots in the community at all. Could've caught a ship out himself."

Damn, Grayson thought.

"Well, what about the customer?"

"Oh! Didn't know him, but he ordered something," he said as he went to the desk. He flipped through the outstanding order requests. "First time customer. Says his name is Dex. No last name and he paid cash up front. We just got his shipment in today so it shouldn't be long before he comes by."

"Good. You've been real helpful."

"No problem lawman," he said. "Do you want me to contact you when he comes?"

"No. If it's OK with you, I'd like to hang out. Show her picture around. Maybe someone saw her and could give me a faster lead. I won't disrupt your dealings in any way, I can promise you that."

The owner shrugged his shoulders and went on about his business. Grayson found a seat by the door and made himself comfortable.

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008 1:19 PM

In the Pantry

Quote:
Originally posted by EnglishIvy:
"Save it for the shower," she said softly. "It's time you should be thinking about food."

"She's right." Pain said to Tommy, his hands caressing her back. They kissed once more and Pain, whispered into her ear, "We'll have more fun in the shower anyways."

Tommy giggled and grabbed the can of beans Pain had asked for before letting him help her down. Along with the can of beans they picked up some protein and bread rolls before walking out of the pantry.

Galley

Quote:
Originally posted by JohnTheTheaterFreak: "Mornin'"

"Mornin'" replied Pain with a smile, as both Tommy and him set their bounty from the pantry on the counter.

Quote:
"Hope you all had sweet dreams."

"Oh I had somethin' sweet alright." Pain beamed, giving Tommy a playful pat on her pigu as he grabbed a stew pot, set it on the burner, and dumped the can of beans into it. Turning to Tommy and blocking her from view, Pain leaned down and whispered, "Can you get a knife and cut the protein into little cubes about yea big?"

He held his thumb and pointer finger on his left hand about three quarters of an inch apart and continued, "And make them as square as you can. Please?"

Tommy considered Pain's question as she traced a finger down his chest and around the outline of his abs, stopping at his belt. She tilted her head slightly as she looked up into his eyes and whispered seductively, "Sure thing, baobei."

Tommy gave him a smile and a playful little tug on his belt. before turning around to the counter and picking up one of the knives. As she did that, Pain turned to the stew pot of beans and grabbed a wooden stirring spoon off the hanging overhead rack.

Quote:
"Need any help?"

"No. I think we're good, but thanks for the offer." replied Pain giving John a smile, before returning his attention to the cooking.

He turned to see how Tommy was doing and saw that she was just about done. Standing behind her and giving the small of her back the faintest of touches. Pain said, "Nice job on those, baobei."

"Thank you." she replied, looking up and giving him a smile. "Now what?"

"Scoop up as many of the cubes as you can into your hands and carefully drop them into the stew pot." Pain replied with a smile. "Here I'll show you."

Tommy watched as Pain cupped one hand at the edge of the counter and used the other to slide some of the protein cubes into it, careful not to drop any on the ground. Cupping his hands together, he turned to the stew pot and slowly dropped the cubes into it, using the stirring spoon to thoroughly mix them into the beans.

"Just like that." he told her, smiling.

"And then what?" she asked Pain, her lips parted ever so slightly.

Pain stared at Tommy's lips for what seemed like a while. They were beckoning for his own and Pain was feeling the urge to embrace them. He blinked, shook his head and said, "Um then you uh stir them occasionally in the pot until they're golden brown and you let them simmer for a few minutes. While you do that, I'll be at the counter preppin' the rolls. Shiny?"

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WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008 8:34 PM

Breakfast was done in short order. Pain and Tommy were glad that they made a lot of food because nearly everyone from the crew came down to eat. Apparently they were looking for someone to take on the task instead of doing it themselves. Pain and Tommy were the last to sit at the table, so they ended up sitting across from each other.

The others chattered along about various things, some of which was directed at Isahiah. Pain and Tommy were in their own little world. They ate their food slowly, with Tommy making the act of eating the food rather tantalizing. Pain just started eating a bit faster.

Then he felt her foot run up the inside of his thigh. He looked over at her to see her smile slyly and wiggle her eyebrows. In response, Pain ate even faster.

Their games went pretty much unnoticed, except for Jayne who just watched the seduction unfold.

Tommy kept up her games until Pain was literally shoveling the food in. When he got done, he grabbed her bowl and chucked them both in the sink.

"I'll wash them later," he muttered.

He walked around the table and pulled Tommy up by her hand. He whispered into her ear.

"Screw Simon. I need a shower," he said as they briskly headed out of the room.

A couple of people looked up to see them quickly disappear down the hallway.

"Stay away from the shower," River warned, barely audible.

Jayne looked at her, then back towards where they disappeared.

“Tzao gao!” Jayne exclaimed, repeating his sentiment from the previous night. "Why couldn't I meet someone like that?"

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008 9:30 PM

PG-13-ish ahead.
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Shower Room

Pain closed the door behind as they entered the shower room. After locking it, he turned around and was immediately jumped upon by Tommy. The kissing and groping were fierce between the two. They only took breaks so that Pain could turn the water on and get it up to the desired hotness, as well as take off each others' clothing.

With Tommy still attached to him, their tongues entwined with each other and hands roaming all over their bodies, Pain backed over to the comm and fumbled to shut it off. Once he managed to pull off that task, he broke off the kissing and watched the steam rise in the air.

Turning his attention back to Tommy, Pain asked with a smile, "So, Tommy. I've been meanin' to ask this ever since you mentioned it at the restaurant."

"What is it?" Tommy asked, tilting her head and pouting.

Pain's smile grew wider as he said, "I was wonderin' how agile you were."

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WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Thursday, November 27, 2008 6:31 PM

PG-13++

Select to view spoiler:

Tommy and Pain let the steamy water wash over them as they were in the shower. Soap slicked their bodies as Tommy set the pace. It was passionate and searing, their bodies frenzied with the desire building within them.

Pain had his back against the far wall as Tommy wrapped herself around his body in ways he didn’t think possible. Her movements were purposeful, done with the specific goal of pleasuring him as well as herself. Their hands glided over each other’s skin, which only served to fuel the fire. Pain’s head tilted back to rest on the tiled wall and his eyes closed as his embrace of her tightened.

In an effort to prolong their efforts, Tommy switched gears and slowed down considerably as she watched the reaction in his eyes. He opened his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers.

“Ivy…” he whispered. He knew it was Ivy that was present right then. He had learned to recognize whom it was that he was with to at any point during their lovemaking. She knew he knew and reveled in it. No longer did she need to restrict herself to only one of the two halves inside her. No longer did she need to hide. Not since he had learned the truth. Not since she found out he didn’t care. He had accepted both of them just as they were.

“Ivy, you’re not supposed to be here,” he ground out, his body starting to succumb to the pleasure he was experiencing. “It’s her turn.”

“I know,” she whispered back, in between moans. “But I had to, just for a little bit.”

Her head fell back as her eyes fluttered closed. After a moment, she rose to meet his eyes and her technique changed again.

“God, Tommy, I can’t take much more…” he groaned as he nuzzled her neck.

“So don’t.”

With her permission given, he leaned forward, pinned her to the wall just below the shower head and took control himself. She held on for dear life as he led her away from rational thought.

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Thursday, November 27, 2008 8:08 PM

Shower Room

After their fun ended in a supernova of ecstasy, Pain held onto Tommy for a little bit longer, giving her passionate kisses and whispering how great she was while nibbling on her ear. Finally Pain let Tommy down and they finished washing each off. Once the water was turned off and they had stepped out of the shower, they kissed some more before drying themselves off and getting dressed.

As Tommy finished putting on her shirt, Pain wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissed the top of her head and said with a smile, "OK now we can go see Simon and have him check you out. Then we can move your stuff into my room and go from there."

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WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Saturday, November 29, 2008 11:26 AM

After breakfast, John decided to go give the engine a glance over. He'd rather know now if they needed anything than finding out when they weren't going planetside any time soon.

As he began checking over the engine his mind raced. Something about this job just seemed off. Maybe it was the not really knowing a gorram thing part. Or maybe it was the man who brought it to them. His late night psychic rendezvous really had been fruitless. All he had learned was that this man, like everyone on this ship, had a past.

But what if his past came for him? Did he run from it intentionally? Did he have to leave? John knew that if his own past came fro him, which it probably was, he could fight it. He was good at fighting. But could this man fight his? Could Ivy fight hers? Thinking of this reminded him of his promise to the woman. He left the engine room, which looked pretty good, and went to find the captain

johnttf

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Sunday, November 30, 2008 11:16 AM

MOBBEX

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Sunday, November 30, 2008 11:17 AM

Having ingested as much food as his shrunken stomach could hold, Isahiah set his plate atop the pile by the sink and left the galley. His head was still racked with a painful throb, and he doubted his weakened body would see him through the day after a night without sleep, so he set out for the infirmary, hoping a round of medication would lessen his misery.

As he descended the stairs from the aft hallway, he ran into captain Reynolds. The man was moving up the stairway towards him, treading heavily, his shoulders hunched forward.

"Good morning, captain," Isahiah said. "I hope your night was of the restful kind."

Mal's head jerked up at the sound of his voice. "'Been lookin' for you," he said as he climbed the steps at a steady pace, the gap between the two men closing rapidly.

"And so you found me," Isahiah replied, smiling amiably. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

The answer came in the form of a fist plowing into the side of his face, sending him reeling. He lost his footing on one of the steps and wound up flat on the ground, his head pounding with renewed intensity.

"Right," he started, fingering the area Mal had struck to spot a narrow cut under his left cheekbone. "You want a man's attention, nothing like the tried and true method of brushing a closed hand against his face..." he paused as Mal's fingers curled into the forepart of his shirt, ensuring a firm grip. "For the record, I feel compelled to specify that you do have my undivided attention at the moment..."

Mal manhandled him to his feet and forcefully pinned him against the nearest bulkhead, the force of the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. "Well seeing as we're touchin' upon the subject, I gotta confess I've been a wee bit restless of late," the captain said in a subdued voice, his face literally a breath away from Isahiah's. "Got a lot on my mind at the moment, what with the travelers creating all manner of problems, my crew refusin' to fall in line and you parading around my ship like you just did conquer it now listen up 'cause I'm only gonna say this once: I am sympathetic to your little struggle. Fightin' the good fight, stickin' it up to the Alliance an' everything, that's all music to my ears. I'm even willin' to put up with you bein' perhaps the second most obnoxiously self-important individual I've come across in my entire life. But I need some insurance I'm not walking into a kill zone here. You don't start talking, deal's off."

Isahiah remained mute, trying to assess whether the man was bluffing or not. "Wrong answer," Reynolds decided. The captain clenched his hand in a tight ball and thumped him in the stomach. Isahiah bent over in pain, making a sour face as he felt his breakfast move up his bowels.

"You're lucky I don't just shoot you where you stand for wasting my time," Mal said, eyeing him with a mix of anger and disgust. "Not to mention the fuel..." That thought seemed to stir him more deeply than the rest. "Ta ma duh!" he muttered, drawing his pistol and holding the barrel against Isahiah's temple. "You know, I think I'll take that back," he said. "I might just end up shooting you after all!"

Isahiah got a hold of his breathing and darted a furious look at Reynolds. "Fine!" he spat. He straightened his stance and let go of his gut, letting his arms hang by his sides. "You have questions? Ask them."

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BigWolf18 "Way i remember it, you said you was leavin', dare say that saved us a whole peck o' trouble. now i gotta wonder what could spur on a fine disreputable man like yourself to show your fine disreputable face here again."

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Sunday, November 30, 2008 1:09 PM

Pain and Tommy entered the infirmary and found it empty.

"I'm sure Simon will be here shortly," Pain said as Tommy hopped up on the table. "He knew we were coming."

"I don't mind waiting," she said as she pulled him towards her.

Pain brushed a stray piece of wet hair off her face.

"Me neither."

She leaned forward and brought her lips to his as she pulled herself up against him. His arms wrapped around her as he kissed her back, the passion from the shower not yet sated.

"Hey Ivy," he said as he pulled just an inch away from her lips.

"Hey," she said softly before starting to kiss him again.

He responded to her, as his hands started to roam.

"You better watch out or we'll need another shower," he growled into her ear. "Or Simon might get a rude awakening when he shows up."

"Oh, no!" said a voice from the door. "This is more than enough."

Pain and Ivy froze and looked over.

"Hey Simon. How's your day going so far?" Pain said as a grin spread over his face.

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Sunday, November 30, 2008 2:14 PM

Infirmary

Quote:
Originally posted by EnglishIvy:
"Hey Simon. How's your day going so far?" Pain said as a grin spread over his face.

"Very disturbing." Simon replied to Pain. Moving over to Ivy, he said to her, "I'm going to need you to lie down now. I need to perform a scan of your brain."

Ivy looked to Pain, who gave her a reassuring nod and a smile. She smiled back at him and laid down on the exam chair, her hands resting on her stomach.

As Simon readied the scanner, he said to Ivy, "Normally I'd ask if you've gotten the recommend amount of rest for one who has suffered a concussion." He gave Pain a chastising look and continued, "But somehow I don't think that's the case."

Both Pain and Ivy blushed a little, Pain looking at the ground and kicking at some imaginary dust monkeys with his foot.

Bringing the scanner over Ivy's forehead, Simon looked at the monitor on the wall and asked her, "Tell me Ivy, how did you get that skull fracture? I want to know how long your recovery from it was and if you've had any problems associated with it." He looked into her eyes, gave her a doctor-y smile and added, "I'm a doctor, it's my duty to ask for medical reasons."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Sunday, November 30, 2008 7:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DRPAIN:
Bringing the scanner over Ivy's forehead, Simon looked at the monitor on the wall and asked her, "Tell me Ivy, how did you get that skull fracture? I want to know how long your recovery from it was and if you've had any problems associated with it." He looked into her eyes, gave her a doctor-y smile and added, "I'm a doctor, it's my duty to ask for medical reasons."

Ivy stiffened up and looked over at Pain with an ever so slightly scared look in her eyes. He picked up on it right away, although Simon was too busy with the scan to notice. He crossed over to her side and picked up her hand and held it tight.

“She told you this before, Doc,” Pain said, looking at her reassuringly.

“I know,” he said. “Just wanted to get more detail on recovery time and all.”

"Tractor accident. I was at home doing some Harvest-time work for my Dad," Ivy explained again, reciting the lie verbatim that she had given them the day before. "Wheels got hung up on something and I was thrown. It was a rocky area."

“How long were you out? A couple of minutes? Hours? Days?” Simon asked.

Ivy’s eyes darted back and forth, searching inward for an answer.

“I don’t really… I don’t really remember much,” Ivy said softly.

Pain looked at her closer and was getting more and more concerned. Something that Tommy had told him before rang clear in his head…

"There are certain things, I cannot, under any circumstances, let her remember."

“Maybe there’s someone I can wave? Your dad perhaps?”

“He’s gone.”

“Sorry to hear about that,” Simon said as he studied the results.

“Simon, she’s really tired,” Pain intervened. “I think she needs some rest. I’ll take her back to our bunk now.”

Before Simon could answer back, he helped Ivy up off the table and ushered her quickly out of the door. As they got out of range of the infirmary, he stopped and turned her to face him.

“You OK, babe?” he asked, tilting her eyes up towards his.

She smiled widely at him.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because of Simon grilling you.”

“Simon!” she exclaimed. “I have the perfect plant for him! I need to get it so we can give it to him when we go to see him.”

With that she trotted off towards her room. Pain stood there in her wake. Did she not remember that they were just there? Was it because of the injury or because of the split? How could he find out?

Tommy. Tommy could tell him. He started walking after her, picking up speed as he did.

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Sunday, November 30, 2008 8:23 PM

"Wait up, baobei!" Pain called after Ivy.

She stopped and let Pain catch up to her before she asked sweetly, "What is it, Pain?"

"Um... OH! I just wanted to ask Tommy somethin' is all." Pain replied giving Ivy a smile. "Can I talk to her?"

"Sure." replied Ivy while they stopped at her room's door. She closed her eyes and reopened them, letting Tommy surface. Tommy smiled at Pain and brought herself closer to him, her eyes looking into his as her hands gliding down and gave his pigu a squeeze while she asked, "What is it that you wanted to ask me, baobei?"

Pain smiled at the groping and returned the favor as any gentleman would do and asked, "Darlin', is Ivy OK?"

"Yes." she said to him, a bit puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

"Because we just left Simon in the infirmary, yet she said she needed to pick out a plant for him when go see him, when we just did see him." he replied, a worried look in his eyes.

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WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Monday, December 1, 2008 6:54 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DRPAIN:
"Because we just left Simon in the infirmary, yet she said she needed to pick out a plant for him when go see him, when we just did see him." he replied, a worried look in his eyes.

“We’ve seen him already?” Tommy asked Pain, looking back towards the infirmary. She looked back at Pain with a confused look on her face. “Are you sure?”

Pain’s stomach dropped. Something wasn’t right. Something was definitely way rutting wrong. He reached out and grabbed her hand.

“Tommy, maybe we ought to go back to see Simon. You’re scaring me,” Pain said as he drew her to him. “Something ain’t right.”

Tommy paused for a second, looking hard inside herself.

“Wait…” she said incredulously. “She’s blocking me…”

“What?” Pain said as he pushed her back far enough to look into her face. His face etched with concern.

“She’s scared. Scared that we’ll move in and…”

“And what?”

Tommy looked up at him, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“And the sex won’t be enough anymore. That you’ll want someone that’s whole,” Tommy told him. “She wants to be whole and she thinks by finding out what happened-”

Tommy’s eyes widened fearfully as her knees buckled. Pain kept her from falling and lowered her to the floor, kneeling next to her.

“Tommy? Tommy? What’s going on?”

“No… Don’t look. Don’t look. Please, don’t look,” Tommy whimpered softly. She looked up at Pain with pleading eyes. “Help me.”

Pain sat down and pulled her into his lap, rocking her.

“Don’t look, bao bei. Do what Tommy says. Don’t look,” he implored softly. “Let’s think this through together. Ask me what I think. Ask me, don’t just assume. Just stop looking. For me, stop looking, babe. For me.”

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Monday, December 1, 2008 12:53 PM

Pain continued rocking back and forth with Ivy in his lap, constantly reassuring her that everything was going to be alright. He held her close to him so she could feel his warmth in his words as well as his body. While he did that he wondered what it was that Tommy didn't want Ivy to know. What was it that made her crumple to the floor weeping. He wanted to know so badly that he even wondered if he should talk to Simon about it once he had some away time from Ivy and Tommy. Pain couldn't help but think that maybe the scars on her back had something to do with this.

Ivy had started to calm down now, he could feel it in her breathing. He nuzzled her neck and asked, "You feelin' better now, baobei?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Monday, December 1, 2008 1:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DRPAIN:
"You feelin' better now, baobei?"

"If you don't want me to move in now, I'd understand," Ivy said.

"I never said that," Pain reassured her. "Hell, Ivy, I want you there. Both of you. I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure."

"But what if later..."

"Listen to me," he said tilting her chin up so she could see his eyes. "I'm not going to discuss what could's and what if's. When I asked you to move in, I knew the score. It's not something you just sprung on me. Nobody is without their issues. You're just different than most. More complex."

He grinned at her.

"And I like complex women," he told her. "Never a dull moment."

Ivy smiled widely at that.

"So you still want me?"

Pain leaned down and kissed her soundly.

"I want you," he confirmed. "Now no more looking, OK?"

"OK."

"And don't ever do that to Tommy again."

"I won't."

"And just talk to me. I will always be there for those I care for."

"I promise."

"Now let's get your stuff," he said as they stood up. "Hope it isn't going to involve me making a million trips getting it all upstairs."

She giggled softly.

"You'd be surprised."

After all, she knew that she only had one bag. A small bag. 3 outifts, one set of PJs, some toiletries, a couple of small *emphasizing small* mementos and two chocolate bars.

And if that didn't shock him, the amount of plants she had stuffed in her room sure would.

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Monday, December 1, 2008 2:29 PM

"Where'd you come from?" John had walked into the tail end of the...conversation.

"Good question," Mal said looking back at John. Now that he was here lying would be difficult. "And no short answer either. I want to know how you got to where we picked you up."

johnttf

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Monday, December 1, 2008 6:37 PM

Ivy's room

They made it over to Ivy's room without any further incidents happening. Pain decided to be a gentleman and with a smile, opened the door for Ivy.

Ivy smiled in return at Pain and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." came Pain's reply as he watched her enter. Upon his own entrance, Pain's lower jaw almost hit the floor when he saw her plants.

"Tzao gao!" he exclaimed. "It's like a jungle in here!" He turned to Ivy and asked, "Should I be worried about gettin' jumped by monkeys or pounced on by a panther in here?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Monday, December 1, 2008 7:35 PM

"I do admit that it is a little tight in here," Ivy said as she looked around. "But the only thing you are in danger of being jumped by is me."

She gave him an ever so slight grope and smiled at him.

"But right now, I need to check my plants. Can you wait for me?"

"Sure."

Pain watched mesmerized as she bent and twisted between the terrariums so she could get a good look at each and every one.

Agile indeed, he thought.

"This one has a damaged light source," she reported. "I'll need to get a new one. Maybe we could make a stop by the grain store I used before?"

"Uh huh..." Pain absently said as he tilted his head a little as he watched her move, checking the rest of the plants.

When she was done, she slung her very small duffle over her shoulder and then grabbed the terrarium with the plant she wanted to give Simon.

"That's it. I'm done."

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008 8:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EnglishIvy:
"That's it. I'm done."

"That's it?" Pain asked, looking at the duffel bag slung over her back as they walked back to the infirmary. "I thought for sure I was goin' to have to lug a ton of bags up to my bunk."

Ivy turned her head towards Pain and said with a smile, "You could always carry up my stuff one by one."

Pain chuckled and replied, "Yeah I don't think I have that much room in my bunk for all those plants of yours. Maybe one or two of the smaller ones to put on the desk, but definitely not all of them."

"Which ever one's shall I choose?" Ivy replied, complete with fake swooning.

Pain stuck his tongue out at her and said, "Surprise me." Once they reached the door to the infirmary, Pain knocked on the frame and said, "Hey, Simon, guess who it is again."

Simon turned around and groaned, "Oh no. What's wrong now?"

"Nothin'." Pain replied with a smile. "Ivy just wanted to give you somethin' is all."

Pain stepped aside and waited to see the look on Simon's face when Ivy gave him his present.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008 9:56 PM

"Hey Simon," Ivy said as she carried in the terrarium. "I wanted to give you this, for being so nice to me."

She set it down on the counter as Simon looked at it. It was a green leafy plant that resembled lettuce, but the pieces were thicker.

"You got me lettuce?" Simon asked, then smiled graciosuly. "Thank you."

Ivy smiled at him, because she was expecting this reaction.

"No silly. This is called Drowton's Leaf," she told him. "It has medicinal properties. Thought it might come in handy sometime. Plus it smells nice, like lavender."

"Medicinal properties?" Simon asked as he leaned into it, taking a deep breath. "It does smell good."

"Although there are drugs out there that are easier to procure, Drowton's leaf can be used for many purposes," she started as she peeled off a piece. "You can use it as a mild pain killer, helps to ward off infection or absorb toxins."

"Really?" Simon asked as he peered down at the leaf.

"Yep. Here's an example," she said as she turned back to Pain. "Babe, take off your shirt."

"What?" Pain said looking at Simon.

"Take off your shirt and hop up here on the table," she repeated. Warily, he did as she asked.

Simon took a good look at Pain's bruising from his fight with 13.

"Dear God, Pain. 13 do that to you? Maybe I should do a scan, check for cracked ribs..."

"I'm fine doc. Just a little tender."

"Where?" Simon asked. as he started looking closer.

As Simon checked out Pain, Ivy took the leaf and roughed the outside of it, revealing a gelly like inside (think of Aloe). She walked over to the table as Simon poked a particularly tender spot on Pain's ribs.

"Ow!" Pain said, looking annoyed at Simon. "That hurts!"

Ivy took that chance to apply the leaf straight to his skin. Pain winced a little when she did so, but he didn't move it. She held it on there as she talked to Simon.

"It takes a couple minutes, but it does reduce the pain."

Simon looked at her skeptically, but as she held it there, Pain could feel something changing.

"Hey, it's gettng cold!" he said. Then a few seconds later, "It feels kinda good."

Ivy took off the leaf and rubbed the rest of the gel into Pain's skin. He barely moved.

"Feels a lot better doesn't it?"

"Actually... It does."

Simon picked up the leaf and scrutinized it. Ivy went and poured some disinfectant on the counter, took the leaf from Simon's hand and laid it, gel side down in the middle of the spill. To his amazement, the leaf quickly absorbed the liquid.

"Does that with toxins too," she said.

"Amazing," Simon said. as he started to touch it. Ivy wiped it into the trash before he could.

"You don't want to mess with it after. You could transfer the toxin if you don't watch out. I'd use gloves to dispose of it," she told Simon. "Now I know there are drugs out there that probably do a better job with less mess, but it fit your personality with it being a medicinal plant and it does smell good. I hope you like it."

"It's very nice. Thank you!"

"It's my pleasure. If you have any questions, you could ask me any time," she said as she picked up her duffle. "We'll leave you to your work now."

Simon was still studying the plant when they walked out of there and up towards the galley.

"You should see what happens when it is eaten in small quantities," Ivy whispered to Pain.

"What does it do?"

"Doesn't matter," she said as she smiled smugly. "We don't need help in that department."

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Thursday, December 4, 2008 9:11 AM

"I told you," Isahiah said, his voice wavering with anger. "My ship broke down, I had to bail out..."

"You're straining my patience something awful here, Izzy," Mal said, repeatedly driving the muzzle of his gun into Isahiah's chest as he spoke. "You keep at it your body'll never make it to Beylix."

Isahiah angrily swatted the gun away. "Enough!" he vociferated, the veins in his neck pulsing with such violence they threatened to burst. "If you're so anxious to acquire information that could endanger the lives of everyone on this ship, so be it! Just pray you don't come to regret it."

Mal rolled his eyes upward. "Spill it 'fore I start beatin' on you again."

Isahiah reclined against the bulkhead and drew a deep breath to gather his composure before answering. "I'm a member of an underground organization whose object is to subvert and disrupt Alliance operations throughout the Rim and beyond."

"Freedom fighters," Mal snickered. "You disappoint me, Izzy."

"Captain, you'd be well advised not to trivialize the seriousness of this matter," Isahiah warned somberly.

"Well, you'll have to forgive me for not thinking the world of your advice at the moment" Mal replied, cracking a sardonic smile. "Tell me about that ship you were on. You said it had some kind of malfunction?"

The topic seemed to stir up Isahiah's ire. "It suffered a catastrophic and ostensibly fortuitous engine failure, yes," he said, his voice tainted with a bitter venom.

"Ostensibly fortuitous?" Mal repeated, frowning inquisitively.

"Anyone who's spent time around fusion reactors knows they don't just go off without warning," Isahiah explained. "Their very design hinges on a set of scientific propositions that systematically rule out the possibility of an accidental occurrence triggering an explosive event. Yet when the Dandelion's core went critical, it detonated with enough energy to eclipse a comet."

Mal's brows arched incredulously. "You sayin' someone rigged it to blow?"

Isahiah shook his head sideways. "I don't know," he said, his anger now mellowed with dejection.

"Whaddaya mean, you don't know? You were there!"

"I was unconscious in the moments prior to the ship's demise." He gestured to the line of stitches that spanned his brow. "By the time I came round, there was nothing to be done to save the ship, the activity within the core had already begun to spiral out of control. Although I was dazed and considerably shaken up as a result of my injury, I still had enough sense to realize that, and I made off."

"And... here you are."

"And here I am," Isahiah echoed with an affirmative nod.

"How'd that come about?" Mal asked, waving his gun at the sewing work that streaked Isahiah's forehead.

Isahiah shrugged. "I have little to no recollection of what transpired earlier that day, but I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to assume that I was struck down and left for dead."

"Yeah, I reckon that stands to reason," Mal quipped, smirking.

"I haven't the slightest idea of who could've perpetrated such an act," Isahiah continued. "All I know is I can't see it having been one of the crew."

"I hate to tell ya Izzy, but it does sound like an inside job to me."

"I have no doubt it does." A shadow passed over his face for a fleeting moment. "But ours was a close-knit group, I can vouch for it, and if there's one thing my line of work has taught me, it is that things are seldom as they appear."

"Fair enough." Mal sheathed his gun, the toil of holding it out for a prolonged length of time having begun to spawn cramps in the muscles in his fingers and wrist, and folded his arms across his chest. "So what becomes of you now?"

"Captain, you've already made it plain that I don't have much of a say on the matter," Isahiah stated phlegmatically. "My business offer still stands though, provided that you're still disposed to uphold your end of it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OOC:Sorry for the mammoth delay, I've been busy, stressed out, not sleeping and kind of a mess.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————>>>
BigWolf18 "Way i remember it, you said you was leavin', dare say that saved us a whole peck o' trouble. now i gotta wonder what could spur on a fine disreputable man like yourself to show your fine disreputable face here again."

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Thursday, December 4, 2008 6:59 PM

Up the stairs near the Infirmary

Quote:
Originally posted by EnglishIvy:
"Doesn't matter," she said as she smiled smugly. "We don't need help in that department."

"No we don't." Pain replied, a devilish grin on his face. As they were halfway up the stairs, Pain heard the raised voices of Mal and Isahiah. Placing a hand on Ivy's arm, he smiled and said, "Perhaps we should take the scenic route."

"Why?" Ivy asked, cute and confused.

"Sounds like the captain's havin' some choice words with our new guest and I don't wan't us gettin' caught in the middle." Pain answered, turning around.

The two of them headed back down the stairs and walked across the cargo bay. 13 was leaning on the railing on the catwalk near Shuttle #2, watching the two lovebirds traverse the expanse. He turned up the frequency of his hearing processors and listened in on what they were talking about.

"When are we landing on Beylix?" Ivy asked Pain.

"Noonish I believe." Pain replied. The mercenary leaned over and whispered. "I can't say for sure because I was bein' distracted by a cute cookin' assistant."

13 sneered at their giggling and gripped the railing hard enough that it started to slowly bend. He looked down at the railing and eased his grip once he saw what he did. The captain wasn't going to be happy about that one bit. If his little spat with Isahiah was any clue to 13, then he'd probably blow his top if he saw the damaged railing. 13 shrugged it off with nary a second thought. He could always just bend it back into somewhat decent shape.

"So do you still have to talk with the captain?" Ivy asked Pain, pouting a little as they neared the stairs.

Pain's upper teeth tugged at his lower lip for a moment, then smiled and said, "Maybe. It just depends on if'n he's too preoccupied with Isahiah."

The two of them continued up the stairs and entered the foredeck. Pain walked over to his bunk's hatch and kicked it open.

Gesturing to the entrance, he bowed slightly and said, "After you, baobei."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Thursday, December 4, 2008 8:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DRPAIN:
"After you, baobei."

She climbed down the ladder and dropped her bag on the bed. Pain followed down after her.

"Where should I put my stuff?" she asked as she pulled them out of her duffle. Just a couple of outfits and miscellaneous other items.

"We could put your stuff in my foot locker for now," Pain said. "I really thought women were supposed to have more things with them when they traveled."

"I suppose I would if I had more. I'm just..." she started. "Well, I'm just not used to having much."

Pain looked down at what she had.

"You weren't kidding about the not having much part," he remarked. "What is that? Two outifts?"

"Three if you count what I'm wearing now. And a pair of PJs."

"Well, you won't need those much anymore," Pain grinned. He made notice that what she did have was a neutral style, nothing actually overwhelmingly feminine. "Maybe we should go shopping when we get to Beylix. If we have time, that is."

"I'm sure I'll be fine."

"No. We'll go shopping. My treat. We'll get some girly clothes. You don't even have a dress."

"That's awfully generous of you, but I really am OK."

Pain pulled her close and kissed her.

"Maybe the clothes could be for me. A nice dress to go out on the town," he said. Then his voice dropped down a couple of octaves. "A couple of frilly things just to make you feel sexy."

They kissed some more.

"I don't need clothes to feel sexy," she whispered to him as he nibbled on her ear. "I would have thought you figured that out by now."

Her hands slid up the front of his shirt, her fingers ghosting over every muscle she came in contact with.

"Just let me take you shopping. I want to," he pleaded. "Just let me do this."

She pulled his shirt off over his head as he started to unbutton her shirt.

"OK. I'll go," she acquiesced. "But you have to help pick. Based on what I own now, I might need to some help."

"Absolutely," Pain agreed as he slid her shirt off, then picking her up and kissing her firmly. "Absolutely."

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Thursday, December 4, 2008 9:28 PM

PG-13+++

Pain's Bunk

Select to view spoiler:

Pain set Ivy down on his desk and said in between kisses as he began to free her from her pants, "I could use some new clothes myself." As he slid them off, he continued, "You could help me out with them as well."

Ivy's hands started to unbuckle Pain's pants as his hands and mouth roamed over her body. She let out a moan as Pain kissed her neck and murmured, "I'd love that."

She managed to slide his pants off as their lips met again. Pain pulled her close and started with slow rhythmic motions. His callused hands gently massaged her breasts as her's ran through his hair, their lips still locked in a war of passion.

"Pain?" she managed to say after a momentary lip breach. "Are you sure we have time for this?"

"We'll make the time, darlin'." he said reassuringly before kissing and sucking on her neck. Bringing his forehead to her's, Pain repeated before resuming their tongue wrestling, "We'll make the time."

As they continued their lovemaking, Pain's thrusting seemingly in tune with their heart rates, the desk started squeaking ever so slightly.

"Pain?" Ivy moaned, raking her fingers down his back.

"Yeah, baobei?" he rasped, in between kisses. "What is it?"

"Are you sure it's safe to be doing this on the desk?" she asked, before letting out another moan.

"Quite certain, darlin'." replied Pain, looking into her eyes. He smiled and added while his hips moved back and forth, "She just needs a little oilin' is all."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Friday, December 5, 2008 9:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DRPAIN:
"Quite certain, darlin. She just needs a little oilin' is all.

Select to view spoiler:

It sounded a little more serious than “a little oil.” And where exactly would you oil a desk anyway? But it didn’t take long before she didn’t really care. Pain was the only thing she thought of.

This time, it was his show from the beginning. Well, almost the beginning. He had kissed her first, but she was the one who started the clothing removal process. The rest was all him. His speed, his rhythm and the fact he had her sprawled across his desk.

In the short amount of time they had known each other, he had learned so much about her body. She almost thought he had to be a reader because knew where, when and how to touch her at the exact right time. He even knew which way to move. All of it done for their mutual pleasure. She was being consumed by him. She desired him at a level she never felt for anyone else before. She wanted this man, this man called Pain.

“Pain?” she exhaled as shudders of pleasure ran up her spine.

He acknowledged her with a soft grunt as he nuzzled her neck, never breaking stride.

“What’s your…” she started as a moan interrupted her speech. “Your real name?”

He looked into her eyes and smiled before leaning his mouth to her ear. He whispered to her then started kissing down her neck while his hands set a trail of fire across her skin. She couldn’t resist any longer. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on tight while he took her to a level she never conceived to be reachable.

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Saturday, December 6, 2008 7:57 PM

Pain's Bunk

"That was just.. wow." Ivy managed to let out as she sat up and tried to catch her breath.

She had enough time to get in a few breaths before Pain's mouth connected with hers' and they started to share a slow, passionate, lingering kiss. Ivy's hands glided over Pain's muscular arms as his ran up and down her back.

Breaking off their kiss, they touched foreheads and Pain asked with a smile, "You up for some cuddlin', baobei, or did you have other things on your mind?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Saturday, December 6, 2008 8:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DRPAIN:
"You up for some cuddlin', baobei, or did you have other things on your mind?"

Ivy was still out of breath, but she pulled herself as close to Pain as she could. She started to kiss him, her tongue doing a slow dance with his while her hands roamed over his body.

"Bed, please," she said softly.

Pain lifted her up, carried her to the bed and they both slid under the covers. She resumed her actions of kissing and touching. After a while, she pulled away from him.

"I always have other things on my mind when it comes to you," she said to him as she wiggled her hips a little. "What would you like to do?"

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Saturday, December 6, 2008 9:14 PM

Pain's Bunk

Quote:
Originally posted by EnglishIvy:
"I always have other things on my mind when it comes to you," she said to him as she wiggled her hips a little. "What would you like to do?"

"Well." Pain replied, giving Ivy another kiss. "I'd like to continue with the kissin' and the touchin', baobei." Lifting up the covers, he peered under them, then looked back at Ivy. With a sly smile, he added, "Of course if'n you're up to it, I am up for another round of fun." The smile grew wider as he said, "We can make it interestin' too if'n you'd like."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Saturday, December 6, 2008 9:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DRPAIN:
"We can make it interestin' too if'n you'd like."

"Interesting?" she asked as she slid up his body so that her face was even with his. "Are you trying to tell me that the excitement is gone already?"

He chuckled a little as she feigned a pout as she let her hands wander over his body. His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close as he exhaled deeply.

"What kind of interesting thing do you suggest?" she asked.

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Saturday, December 6, 2008 10:12 PM

Pain's Bunk

Quote:
Originally posted by EnglishIvy:
"What kind of interesting thing do you suggest?" she asked.

"Rest." Pain simply stated.

"Rest?" Ivy repeated, arching one of her eyebrows. "How is that interesting?"

"Yes." answered Pain, running a hand through her hair. "Rest. And it's interestin' in that it gives us time to recharge our batteries before our next romp in the hay."

"You're a strange man, baobei." Ivy said with a smile.

Pain returned the smile and replied, "Yes, well strange is my middle name."

<< OOC: Edited on 12/07/08 @ 4:19 p.m. PST. >>

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Sunday, December 7, 2008 5:25 AM

Pain. Maybe even emottional trauma radiated from the man. Denial, Betrayal. Two emotion that tended to go together. John looked at Izzy and felt sorry. This man had been a freedom fighter, something John could definately identify with, but had he and his crew done it the right way. Or had this man been lost, as well. Maybe he had been to harsh on the man, but John believed in second chances. There was just one more thing that lingered in his suspicions. "He's not lying, sir. But ask him about the job." "Don't give me orders." "Sorry" "Now, tell me about the job."

johnttf

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Sunday, December 7, 2008 6:03 PM

Rest? Ivy was surprised. She thought he was ready for another go around, but he chose rest. She cuddled up to him, feeling the warmth of his body. After a couple of minutes, she sat up.

“I really need a drink of water. Would you like one?” she asked. He groaned as she slid away from him, swinging her legs over to the floor.

“Can’t it wait? You know you want to stay,” Pain said, trying to lure her back. “The water can wait.”

“You’re cold aren’t you,” she asked him, seeing through his complaints.

Pain grinned sheepishly.

“Well… yeah.”

“I’ll be fast. I’m just parched,” she said as she looked back at him. “Do you want some?”

“Sure. I could use some too.”

Ivy hopped up and took a couple of steps before coming to an abrupt halt. Her arms stretched out to either side, like she was reaching for something. She swayed a bit.

“Babe?” Pain asked her as he sat up.

“I feel…” she started to say, her voice unnaturally soft.

Her eyes rolled back a bit and she began to fall. With unnatural speed, Pain leapt from the bed and caught her before she hit the floor.

“Ivy?” he called to her concern clear in his voice. Quickly, he picked her up and laid her down on the bed. “Ivy?”

He was about to head over to the comm to call Simon when she spoke to him.

“I’m sorry. I just got a bit dizzy.”

“A BIT?” he chastised. “You fainted.”

“No. I’m fine. I was just dizzy. I was trying to right myself.”

“Ivy, you fainted.”

“No. I remember losing balance and you catching me. You put me over here,” she said as she opened her eyes to look at him. “Just dizzy. I promise.”

Pain leaned over her and kissed her soundly.

“You scared me,” he said.

“Sorry. I didn’t expect it. I’ve felt so good today.”

“I was right about the rest,” he told her as he started to get dressed. “You stay here. I’m going to go get you some food. You’ll eat it and then it’s off to nappy land for you.

“Maybe I should call Simon,” he continued as he zipped his fly and reached for a shirt.

“No. I’m really OK. Room’s not spinning no more.”

“You scared me,” he repeated.

“I’m fine. Concussions don’t go away in a day. I just think we overdid it a bit,” she said as she smiled at him.

“Fair enough,” he said as he stepped up on the first rung. “I’ll be back in a jif.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Rest. I do feel tired, she thought. He was right to suggest it.

Pain wasn’t gone 30 seconds before she fell asleep.

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Sunday, December 7, 2008 7:49 PM

Pantry

Pain could still hear Mal and John talking to Isahiah from the pantry, so at least he knew Mal was preoccupied with that to talk to him. He looked through the pantry and wondered what to get Ivy to eat.

He scanned every shelf at least a few dozen times, racking his brain over what she'd want. It was mostly protein in there with a few non-protein items scattered here and there. He hoped this job of theirs was of the good paying variety, because they desperately needed some food with some taste to it. Perhaps they could get some real meat, veggies, and eggs for once instead of the pre-prepared, dehydrated, or vacuum packed go-se they usually bought.

Finally he just shrugged and picked the last bag of grapes. Closing the pantry's door behind him, Pain made his way back to his bunk. Well it was now Ivy and his bunk. Nonetheless Pain opened the hatch and climbed on down.

Pain's Bunk

Once he closed the hatch, Pain started to open the bag and said, "OK, baobei, I got you a bag of grapes. It was the only thing in there that resembled food."

He looked up and saw that Ivy was sleeping already. Pain walked over to the bed and knelt down. Giving her a kiss on the forehead, he mused while admiring her, "You sure are cute when you're sleepy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008 11:32 PM

Isahiah wrinkled his brow, his gaze swerving from Mal to John and back again. "What is he an ex-cop or something or other?"

"Yeah, summin like that," Mal said offhandedly. "You know, I'd appreciate it if you'd cut the skewin' around and stick to my questions from now on, I've got a meeting I need to see about 'fore we hit the Beylix docks.

"I see, well then I shall endeavor to keep my answers as brief and succinct as possible," Isahiah replied. "What exactly is it you wish to know?"

"Well, first thing you'll wanna tell me more about the location, 'cause as things stand now my ship ain't goin' nowhere near it."

Isahiah nodded understandingly. "Very well," he said. "I was truthful yesterday. The Kentmountain installation was the base from whence my crew and I operated, and one of the movement's most secure strongholds in this sector of the system. We stopped there to replenish our fuel cells, effectuate repairs when needed, unload the proceeds of our travels, or simply for some quality R&R..."

"See now, two things," Mal interjected. "A: That ain't brief nor succinct. An' B: Gripping a tale as that is, I confess I'm more interested in how the place is fitted out to deal with incoming ships..."

Isahiah held up a mollifying hand. "Captain you needn't be concerned with the safety of your ship on this trip," he said. To the best of his recollection, the facility's lone defense had always been its remoteness. "I can assure you that it is in no danger of being brought down or damaged in any way."

"Oh, can you?" Mal retorted, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Whaddaya think John? Talk to me."

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————>>>
BigWolf18 "Way i remember it, you said you was leavin', dare say that saved us a whole peck o' trouble. now i gotta wonder what could spur on a fine disreputable man like yourself to show your fine disreputable face here again."

...Dust monkeys...

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008 3:47 PM

A cop. John snorted at the thought. "I say we take it if it pays. We can always shoot him later. Plus, we can handle this one." The man had at least put his fears to rest a little, but those security things could come back on and knowing this ship they would. River waiting for your command to land. John turned and walked toward his room to gather supplies for the job, he was ready to start.

johnttf

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008 11:03 PM

"All right, we'll deal," Mal said stiffly. " But don't go thinking you're gettin' off home free. You've hid things from me Izzy, an' I take exception to that." He inched his face ever closer to Isahiah's as he spoke. "I'm gonna be watchin' you every step o' the way, an' if I get the slightest inkling that you're up to something improper so help me I will shoot you down. Do we have an understanding?"

Isahiah couldn't help but recoil a touch at the overbearing hostility that Mal radiated. "We certainly do," he said.

"Good!" Mal barked as he turned and walked off. "Now go get yourself cleaned up an' grab a coat, you an' I are headin' out as soon as we hit the ground. I wanna collect on that advance you promised me."

"An' it damn well better have some weight to it!" he warned as he disappeared up the stairs.

Isahiah slumped against the bulkhead as the captain's leaden footsteps faded into distance. "Oh, what a great day this is gonna be," he rasped, kneading the back of his neck. "I need a rutting drink."

The Bridge

Mal climbed the short stairway leading to the foremost section of the ship and stooped lightly to get his head through the narrow hatchway as he came into the bridge. River sat at the wheel with her legs folded together, absently munching at a somewhat sour-looking piece of fruit, her eyes lost in idle contemplation. "Anybody home?" he asked.

River stirred from her reverie and laid her stark, beady gaze upon him. "You beat up on the scoundrel," she stated placidly.

"An' loved every second of it," he assured her. He gazed at the cosmic scenery through the bridge aperture. "'That Beylix I see balloonin' outside my cockpit window?"

River nodded a yes as she cast a surveying glance at a set of dials to her right.

"All right, take us in," he ordered. "Don't go straight for the Hedons though, instead set her down near New Allansburgh. I wanna hoard up on fuel an' eats 'case we need to make a speedy exit."

"Wilco, captain." She reached above her head to flip a row of switches then tightly wrapped her hands around the stick, her face stiff with concentration as Serenity came against the outermost layers of Beylix's atmosphere.

"An' take the long way 'round," Mal continued as he turned to leave. "I've got some in-house business I need to settle before we land."

She didn't verbally acknowledge his last command, yet he didn't doubt that it had been understood and would be seen through, and walked out of the bridge, leaving the helm in River's care. He couldn't fathom how or when he had grown to trust her so implicitly as to leave her in charge of the ship's flight with nary a second thought, but the fact remained that he had, and her stellar piloting had given him no sort of reason to withdraw that trust.

He stopped before the hatch leading down to Pain's bunk and forcibly thumped on it. "Pain, get your ass up here on the double. We gotta talk."

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 8:09 AM

GRAYSONCORNWELL

Grayson sat down on a nearby chair. Dozens of people had passed by him, but at the sight of his badge and the alert for Ivy, they all too quickly denied any knowledge and shied away from him.

"So the official route isn't going to work here," he thought.

He put the badge and alert away and simply pulled out a picture of Ivy. He stopped the next group of people.

"Have you seen this girl? She's my neice and is a little mentally unstable. She's run away and I'm afraid she's gotten herself in trouble."

To his surprise, the people stopped and looked intently at Ivy's likeness.

"No," said the customer. "I haven't seen this young lady. Sorry."

As he was talking to the one group, another group of men come in and made their way up to the counter.

"Name's Dex," he said. "I'm here to pick up my order."

Grayson's ears perked up and he made his way towards the man.

Official or family?" he asked himself, wondering which tactic might work best for him this time.

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 1:06 PM

Pain and Ivy's Bunk

Pain had fallen asleep while watching Ivy. His head was resting near hers' while he still knelt before her, the bag of grapes still clutched in his hand. He awoke to the sound of someone thumping on his hatch and woke up.

Quote:
Originally posted by Isahiah:
"Pain, get your ass up here on the double. We gotta talk."

Pain blinked and shook his head, then looked at Ivy. She stirred a little, but was still sleeping. He kissed her softly on the forehead and stood up, gently placing the bag of grapes where his head had lain. Pain climbed up his ladder and quietly opened the hatch before stepping out to face Mal.

Outside Pain and Ivy's Bunk

As he closed the hatch as quietly as he had opened it, Pain said to the captain, "So. Does this mean I get to punch you in the jaw this time, sir?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Friday, December 12, 2008 3:35 PM

Simon stood hunched over the infirmary counter, poring over the many charts that denoted the state of his medical supplies. The figures didn't make sense, like something was missing. He hated to think that someone might have plundered his stock, yet he couldn't wantonly discard that scenario, as there was no shortage of seedy individuals coming through his infirmary on a regular basis. He was determined to look more deeply into it before reporting it to the captain though. He feared that the man's already impossible disposition would devolve into something truly ghastly should he come to learn that passengers had been helping themselves to the medical supplies.

Drawn away from his investigation by the sound approaching footsteps, he straightened and spun his head toward the doorway to see Isahiah walk in with a tumefied face and a distinct stiffness to his gait.

"Oh there you are," he said. "I was beginning to wonder if the captain would ever let go of you."

"Yes, and to be perfectly honest with you, so was I," Isahiah replied as he rested his bottom on top of the infirmary bed. "I think I might have antagonized him further then I originally intended to."

"If it's any consolation, I don't think he ever harbored a particular fondness for me either," Simon shrugged as he pulled a drawer open and reached for his sewing kit and a vial of Iodine.

"But you have that trauma surgeon skill set going for you. Doubtless he can ill afford to part with that."

"Yeah, well believe it or not, that hasn't stopped him from exerting violence on me when the mood struck him. Lie back."

Isahiah did as he was asked as reclined on the bed, stifling a groan as his bruised ribs twinged in protestion. "Captain Reynolds doesn't seem a man very considerate of his allies." he observed.

Simon produced a white piece of fabric and soused it with disinfectant. "I guess he has his moments," he said. "You'll want to close your eyes."

Isahiah complied and vowed not to flinch as Simon brushed the acrid smelling cloth across the gash that traced the line of his cheekbone.

"Any other notable injury or ailment you'd have me take a look at?" the doctor asked, looking to divert him from the discomfort of the moment.

"Why yes, now that you mention it, I was just on my way to see you when I ran into captain Reynolds... or rather, he ran into me, but no matter. I've been having the most intolerable headaches..."

"I see." Simon said. He pulled the cloth from Isahiah's face and walked over to the farthest end of the counter where he dropped it down a small chute before turning back to face his patient. "It might be an aftereffect of the prolonged state of dehydration you've suffered through," he diagnosed. "Have you made an earnest effort to try and keep your fluid levels up?"

"Probably not," Isahiah admitted.

"Then I advise you go ahead and do that. Drink two or more cups of water per hour for the next couple of days. If the pain persists then come back and we'll look into other means of treatment."

"Yes doctor, thank you."

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————>>>
BigWolf18 "Way i remember it, you said you was leavin', dare say that saved us a whole peck o' trouble. now i gotta wonder what could spur on a fine disreputable man like yourself to show your fine disreputable face here again."

...Dust monkeys...

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Friday, December 12, 2008 9:06 PM

Outside Pain's Bunk

Quote:
Originally posted by DRPAIN: "So. Does this mean I get to punch you in the jaw this time, sir?"

"Is that the way you want to do this?" asked Mal rather coldly.

"Depends on where you want to take it." replied Pain, returning Mal's coldness with some of his own.

"She's a passenger, Pain." replied Mal as he spoke about Ivy. "One who's steppin' foot off this boat once we're dirtside."

"You know that for a fact, captain?" Pain said, crossing his arms across his chest and looking into Mal's eyes.

"Surely as I know my own ship like the back of my hand, Pain." replied Mal, matching the bigger man's gaze. "Ain't nothin' goin' to change that."

"I think you're wrong about that, sir." growled Pain. "I've already moved her into my bunk."

Mal let out a stupefied chuckle and shook his head. Looking up at Pain, he scoffed and said, "Ta ma duh, Pain! I'm really thinkin' 13 was right about you bein' strung around her little finger! Sounds to me like you care about her!" He could tell the big man was getting angry and continued, "Do you honestly think she's goin' be stayin' aboard my ship and what? Be part of the crew just so you two can rutt each other all willy nilly and the like?"

Pain uncrossed his arms, his hands flexing as he growled, "First off, her bunk's filled with plants and she's got no place to sleep in there, which is way I graciously provided my bunk to her! Secondly, what me and Ivy do in our bunk is none of your ruttin' business! Ain't my gorramn fault you can't get a woman! Lastly, if'n you'd give her a chance she'd be able to prove herself a valuable part of the team!"

"Give her a chance? Give HER a chance!?" scoffed Mal, not believing for one second what he was hearing. "What's she goin' to do, Pain? Commune with the plant life of every single inhabited planet and moon we step foot on? Is she goin' to make money grow on one of her trees?" Mal pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Finally he said to Pain, "Pain I'm thinkin' your mind's become befud..."

Pain's left fist connected with Mal's jaw hard enough to knock the man flat to the floor. Pain's anger had been bottled up from the moment Mal said that he planned on having Ivy leave once they landed. It started to bubble when he scoffed at Pain and Ivy's relationship. It finally burst out of the bottle when Mal brushed off Ivy's usefulness to the crew. That was when Pain clenched his left hand into a tight first and hurled it at Mal's jaw like a heat seeking missile.

"Saw that comin' a mile away." Jayne said, standing in the galley's doorway. He had been watching Mal and Pain's argument since the beginning.

Pain ignored Jayne's comment as he looked at Mal laying prone on the floor. Pain was glad that his captain was still breathing, but he was still seething with anger at the man. As Mal checked to make sure his jaw wasn't broken, Pain said to him, "Give. Her. A. Chance. Let her show you that she can be useful to us."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Friday, December 12, 2008 9:38 PM

Ivy rolled over in the bed with a smile plastered on her face. She was dreaming.

The jungle was steamy hot, water droplets hung in the air like it had just rained. She stepped around plants and over roots looking…

Select to view spoiler:

“Hey babe,” she heard him say. She looked up and there stood Pain, leaning up against a large tree, absolutely naked. She sidled up next to him and pressed her own bare body against his. He picked her up, leading her mouth to his as he savagely took possession of it. He turned her around pinning her up against the tree as his hands wandered. Her head fell back as she moaned, baring her throat to him. He starting setting a tantalizing rhythm when she heard a big thump from above her. She looked up into the trees wondering what kind of thing could make a noise like that in the jungle. Then it was followed by angry male voices.

And like that, her dream slipped away. She noticed Pain wasn’t next to her and then remembered that he was supposed to talk to Mal. She slipped on one of Pain’s T-shirts and climbed quickly up the ladder to the foredeck.

Sure enough, Mal was lying on his back, checking to make sure his jaw was still attached to his face.

Quote:
"Give. Her. A. Chance. Let her show you that she can be useful to us."

The argument and subsequent punch was all about her. She looked at Pain, who was clearly angry, then down at Mal, who seemed less than happy either.

"I know you don't like me, Captain, but Pain is important to me," Ivy said, her eyes pleading with him. "I can be helpful. Just let me try. Please?"

Mal sat up, still rubbng his jaw.

"Fine," he said flatly. "We have a job later. Might need some help."

"Mal," Pain started. "She's no soldier-"

"Gorram it, Pain!" Mal hissed. "I wouldn't put her on the front line."

Ivy patted Pain on the arm and smiled widely.

"No. It's OK. I want to help. It'll be just shiny!" she said as she looked back at Mal. "You can count on me, Sir."

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 5:48 AM

John had felt the distinctly male emotions as he walked to the bridge. The desire to prove oneself with violence was a mixture that John could never mistake. Anger, with a little bit of pride thrown in. He rushed up to the hallway hoping to stop the fight before it got to rough, but was happy to find it had dissapated. Mal stood there with Ivy and Pain. He had promised to talk with him, too late. "Captain!" John called as he approached them. "Pain! Don't we have enough trouble without intercrew disputes happening every few minutes. Mal if you trust Pain or me and we trust Ivy then you need to trust Ivy." He pushed past them and continued to the bridge.

johnttf

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 1:59 PM

Simon removed a needle from the stitching kit and briefly held it under a germicidal lamp to rid it of all bacterial contaminants before moving in to sew up the wound. A transient quiver shook the muscles of his patient's face as he poked the needle through the skin. "You know, I think I've finally managed to place you," he said.

"Oh did you?" Isahiah replied, his inflection rendered rigid by the sting of the suturing.

"Osiris, tunnel 86A. The man with the eyepatch."

"Very impressive doctor Tam," he congratulated, smothering a smile so as not to interfere with Simon's handiwork. "As I recall it, I had gone to great lengths to alter my appearance. What gave me away?"

"You did look vastly different from what you do now," Simon conceded. "Different complexion, different eye color, the mustache—which, as an aside, you did well not to hold on to..."

"Oh! That dreadful thing!" Isahiah chuckled, a look of fond reminiscence playing about his face. "I remember seeing duplicates of it cropping up around me for months after I had snipped it off. I imagine the men took exception to it as well."

They fell into silence for a moment, Simon's expert hands deftly weaving the thread through Isahiah's skin with a precision nothing short of mechanical. "So, where were you trained?" the doctor asked matter-of-factly.

"Excuse me?" Isahiah said, puzzled at the apparent arbitrary nature of the question.

"Well you're a space-faring outlaw, a master of disguise and a bona fide terrorist mastermind. Clearly you must have undergone some measure of training."

"That's an odd assumption to be making," Isahiah countered. "Many of the thriving figures of the mid-Rim demimonde have prospered without formal training of any kind. What is it that makes you believe I would be any different?"

"Hmm..." Simon reached for a pair of surgical scissors lying on a nearby trolley. "Just a hunch, I guess." He cut the thread and pulled back, tossing the needle down the sink. "You're all done," he said as he snapped off his rubber gloves. "Remember to rinse it regularly to keep it from collecting dust and other foreign materials that could cause an infection."

Isahiah stood up, tentatively fingering the join as he did so. The stitches were narrowly knitted and tightly strung; A prime piece of work. "The nicks are starting to pile up," he noted, alluding to the other line of needlework that barred his head. "It's a chance I can rely on a pundit such as yourself to mend me. I doubt these'll even leave a mark!"

Simon brushed aside the compliment. "Still, I suggest you steer clear of hurling fists in the future," he said. "If only to lessen the bulk of my workload. Now is there anything else?"

"Possibly," Isahiah replied, bending his features into a farcical grimace to try the sutures' strength. "Would you happen to know where I could find a coat?"

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————>>>
BigWolf18 "Way i remember it, you said you was leavin', dare say that saved us a whole peck o' trouble. now i gotta wonder what could spur on a fine disreputable man like yourself to show your fine disreputable face here again."

...Dust monkeys...

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 6:26 PM

Warning: Some PG-13ish stuff below.
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Quote:
Originally posted by EnglishIvy:
"You can count on me, Sir."

"Yes. Well." replied Mal, feeling uneasy about letting her tag along on the job. "Just stay out of trouble and don't get yourself hurt."

"She won't, sir." replied Pain, the anger from his voice fading away. Something about Ivy's smile had a calming effect on Pain. He still felt unwary about her coming along on a potentially dangerous job, but he had a feeling she wouldn't take no for an answer. "I'll be with her and I'll protect her. You have my word, captain."

"See to it that you do, Pain. She's your responsibility, not mine." replied the captain.

Quote:
Originally posted by johnthetheatrefreak: "Captain!" John called as he approached them. "Pain! Don't we have enough trouble without intercrew disputes happening every few minutes. Mal if you trust Pain or me and we trust Ivy then you need to trust Ivy."

"Yes. Trust, captain." replied Pain with a smile. "It's a good thing."

Taking Ivy's hand in his, the two of them climbed back down into their bunk and closed the hatch, leaving the captain to do his captainy duty. Once they reached the bottom of the ladder and Pain's source of anger was no longer in sight, Pain turned his attention to Ivy. She let out a surprised gasp as he picked her up and set her down on his desk. He gave her a smile before giving her a slow passionate kiss.

Ivy broke off the kiss and asked Pain, "What was that for?"

"Do I really need a reason?" he answered, letting his hands run up and down her back, eliciting a small moan from her.

"No." she replied, tilting her head ever so slightly. Wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him closer, Ivy smiled coyly and asked, "Do we have time for a quickie?"

Pain gave her another lingering kiss, before telling her, "I'd love to, baobei, but I need to gear up for the job." He looked at the shirt she had on and added with a smile, "You should probably get dressed too. I don't think just a shirt is proper job attire."

Ivy pouted, but knew he was right about the job and her clothing. She let him go and hopped down off the desk as Pain opened up his weapons locker and went through it, picking the right weapons needed for the job while she got dressed. Pain put on his gun belt with the two leg holsters attached. He then placed in those holsters his two trusty, black .44Magnum Desert Eagles. They were big, they were intimidating, and they packed a wallop. Pain slipped in four extra magazines for each of them into the corresponding magazine pouches on the belt.

Taking off his shirt, Pain reached in again and pulled out his ceramic plate bulletproof vest. It looked just like a normal shirt, but it had ceramic plates sewn in the chest, back, and side giving Pain's torso complete protection from bullets, as well as knives and other sharp poky objects. Slipping his shirt over it, Pain once more reached into his weapons locker and pulled out a shoulder holster.

Ivy watched as he put it on and asked as she slipped on her panties, "Do you really need all those weapons for the job?"

"Yes, darlin'." replied Pain, sliding a hand cannon into the holster. "I do. Wouldn't be a one man army without them."

The hand cannon was equipped with a seven and a half inch barrel and was thirteen inches overall from barrel to grip. It came with a low glare stainless steel finish and was chambered for six powerful .454Casull rounds. Pain loaded the two speed loaders into the pouches on the right side of the shoulder holster. Should he run out of ammo for his other guns or if the cannon was the only one he had left, Pain would have eighteen rounds to dispense justice with.

Pain finally checked and rechecked all his gear to make sure it functioned properly and that nothing came loose. Sheathing a combat knife behind his back, Pain took out his black trench coat and put it on just as the captain's voice came over the comm.

"This is your captain speakin'. We'll be landin' near New Allansburgh shortly to refuel and get supplies. If y'all need to get yourselves somethin' that would be the time to do it. I'll need everyone to meet in the cargo bay once we hit dirtside."

"Shiny. I could use some new clothes and ammo." Pain replied with a smile. Turning to Ivy he gestured to his weapons locker and asked, "You want to browse through that? Might find somethin' to use since Mal took your gun."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WWJD: What Would Jayne Do?

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 8:06 PM

Ivy inched towards Pain’s weapons locker and was shocked by how many guns were held inside.

“That’s a lot of them in there,” she said very softly.

“I used to have more,” he said as he came up behind her. He reached around her and pulled out a couple of smaller ones. “These might do well for you. Pick them up, see which one feels better to you.”

She picked up the first one as she took a deep breath.

“Too heavy.”

She picked up the next one.

“Nah, that don’t feel right.”

“How about this one?” Pain said as he placed one in her hand. “I think it’s a perfect match. Lighter, but powerful enough. Low recoil.”

She gripped it. It felt familiar. She looked down at it and her hand began to shake as a stifled sob emitted from her lips.

“Noooo…” she whimpered as she let go, letting the gun fall with a heavy thud on the floor. She stumbled backwards, her hands flying up to her face.

Pain turned and quickly followed her.

“Ivy?” he asked. “You OK? What’s wrong?”

“Not that one. Never that one. Never again,” she mumbled with tears streaming down her face. He eyes never left the gun on the floor.

“Ivy?” Pain asked again as he led her over to the bed. He sat down, then pulled her into his lap, cradling her close. She was shaking and her eyes were locked onto the gun. “Ivy. I’ll get rid of that one. OK? Will that help?”

“Don’t look, Ivy. Don’t look. Don’t look, Ivy,” she kept saying over and over.

“Tommy?”

“She can’t look, Pain. She can’t. Don’t let her look…” Tommy pleaded with him.

“I won’t. Don’t look bao bei. Just don’t look,” he whispered trying to reassure her.

“Not that one,” she whispered again, Ivy floating forward again. He voice started to get louder. “Never again. Never. Never. Never.”

In her head, a gunshot sounded and she jumped. Her eyes showing shock and filling with tears. Her hands covered her ears and she buried herself against Pain, but her eyes still never left that gun on the floor.

“I’m here, darling.’ Don’t look. Tommy says not to look, so don’t,” he soothed further. He slid his foot over and kicked the gun under the desk so it couldn’t be seen. “There. All gone. You’re OK. I promise.”

She relaxed a little and buried her face into his neck and sobbed. Suddenly, she stiffened up, pulled away from Pain’s embrace and moved to the middle of the room.

“I think I’ll ask Mal for my old one back. Just for this job,” she said flatly. There was no emotion at all there.

Pain looked at her. For the first time since he knew about her situation, he didn’t know who he was talking to. It scared him. He needed to talk to her though, so he guessed.

“Tommy? Can I do anything to help?” he asked. “Is she OK?’

“She’ll be fine,” Tommy said as she headed for the ladder.

“Where are you going?” Pain asked.

“I just need out of here for a bit.”

“Where are you going?” he asked as she started climbing the ladder towards the hatch.

“Just get rid of that thing.”

When she got to the foredeck, River was standing there waiting for her. She wrapped her arm around her shoulder and led her away.

Pain just looked at the open hatch. That reaction was so strong. He crawled onto the floor and reached under the desk and pulled out the gun.

“What in the rutting Hell was that?” he asked as he slid it in the back waistband of his pants. It was bad enough that it drove her away from him. And away from their bunk. Their bunk. He climbed out of his bunk and ran into John.

John held out his hand.

“Give me the gun, Pain. River told me to hold onto it for the time being.”

“Is that where she went? With River?” he asked as he handed John the gun. John simply nodded. Pain looked towards the stairs leading down into the cargo bay. “I’m… uh… I’m going to finish getting ready.”

He left John and headed downstairs. He needed to talk to Simon.

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Sunday, December 14, 2008 5:21 AM

"Poor thing," he said in the empty hallway. Another dose of psychic turmoil on top of everything else. He walked to his bunk and placed the gun in a small lock box under his bed he took the key and hid it in his dresser. He grabbed his holster and loaded up. Light for now, just his two pistols and a knife. If needed he would grab another gun later. He went down to the cargo bay and sat on a box off to the side waiting for the captain's orders.

johnttf

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Sunday, December 14, 2008 7:09 AM