Shiny (Firefly, F) - (7 Parts)

[wannablessedbe]

OK, I just finally watched Firefly-- the Joss Wheadon show that got canceled after one season-- and of course it's ridiculously awesome. Filled to the brim with gorgeous girls who kick ass (what else do we expect from Joss), and this particular pairing really caught my imagination! For those who've never seen the show, it's basically a western in space; but there are no aliens, just humans colonizing space because we grew too populous for the earth to sustain. Oh, and everyone speaks a bit of Chinese slang, which is supposed to be suggestive of the idea that China and the US were the only superpowers that survived. Kaylee is the ship's mechanic; she is incredibly sweet and adorable in that girl-next-door, everyone's-little-sister kind of way. Inara is a "registered companion," which means she is a prostitute; but she's a POSH, classy high-society prostitute who went to prostitute college (it's legal), and there's something about her that's sort of like a priestess (I think that's what the show is suggesting, anyway). She is, no other way to say it, drop-dead gorgeous. You should really just watch the show. But for now I hope I've provided enough background for this story to make sense! Oh, and Serenity is the name of the ship.

Not sure if I'm going to continue this...feedback will help me decide!

Shiny

A Firefly Fic (F/F, Kaylee & Inara)

By WannaBlessedBe

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Inara had been away from Serenity for three days, seeing clients in the Persephone cluster while the ship docked. There was no job for the crew here, only supplies to stock; Kaylee complained more than a little that going planetside without Inara, she’d be bored and lonely and miserable. Inara just sighed, wishing she could blow off her clients and take a three-day vacation with her sweet mechanic girl; but she didn’t say this. Instead, she gently reminded Kaylee that they both had to work whenever they had the chance, and promised to bring her back a present when she returned.

And of course, Inara made good on her promise, as she always did. As soon as her shuttle was safely docked back on the main ship, she quickly freshened up, dabbed on a touch of incense oil—the one that drove Kaylee wild—and picked up the little box she’d purchased on Persephone’s third moon, making a beeline for the engine room. The usual sounds of whirring, humming and clanging greeted her as she rounded the corner, where she found her favorite person in the universe, fast asleep in her multicolored hammock. The younger girl’s face was smudged with oil, as usual, and her light brown hair was fanned out messily around her, dangling over the hammock’s colorful edge. Inara felt her smile blossom from the very pit of her being, and putting her gift aside, she leaned down to kiss her dear one awake.

“Hey, you,” she said gently, when Kaylee’s eyes blinked slowly open.

“Hey you,” Kaylee replied hazily, her brighter-than-all-the-stars-in-the-‘verse smile already spreading across her sleepy face. “Has it been three days already?”

“Mm-hmm,” Inara confirmed lightly, trailing her fingers through Kaylee’s impossibly soft hair and leaning down to kiss her again. “I missed you, bao-bei.”

“Missed you too,” Kaylee agreed, still sounding more asleep than awake. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and stumbled awkwardly out of her hammock, wrapping arms around Inara’s neck to steady herself, giggling as she tripped over her feet. “Missed you an awful lot, ‘Nara.” Her sunshine smile grew even wider. Inara’s heart thudded joyfully in her chest, as it always did when Kaylee was near, and she leaned in to give her another kiss. But to her surprise, Kaylee put a hand against her chest and pushed her back.

“Wait a sec,” Kaylee mumbled, her expression oddly unfocused as she stared into space, one hand still holding Inara away. Then her eyebrows crinkled up, her cute little button nose twitched, and she took a sudden, sharp breath. “Huhh-chiiew! *cough, cough.*” She cupped both hands to her face, shielding Inara from her germs as the insistent sneeze forced itself out.

“Yi bai sui, bao-bei,” Inara said gently, a worried frown creasing her angelic face as she listened to Kaylee’s deep coughs. “Are you ill? Shall I go and fetch Simon from the infirmary?” She pulled the younger girl close again, ignoring her protests.

“It ain’t nothin’, Nara,” Kaylee sniffled, pulling a crumpled handkerchief out of her pocket and wearily blowing her nose. “Just some ol’ bug I picked up planetside. I’m sorry I let you kiss me, though. If I’d a’ been awake and all when you came in, I’d of thought better. I sure hope you won’t catch it,” she frowned, a guilty expression on her sweet face.

“Well if it’s nothing, then it won’t be much of a bother, will it?” Inara said lightly, smoothing Kaylee’s sleep-mussed hair back to feel her face. She didn’t have a fever; but her skin felt clammy and damp. “But I think perhaps you ought to be in bed, hmm baby? Serenity can fly without you for a few hours.”

“Nah, I’m shiny,” Kaylee grinned half-heartedly. “Now that you’re home, anyhow.” Inara couldn’t fail to notice how lackluster that grin was; but knowing how stubborn the younger girl was (as stubborn as Inara herself), she decided not to push, focusing instead on bringing that grin back to full muster.

“All right, then…would you like to open your present now?” Predictably, Kaylee beamed.

“You didn’t really have to bring me nothin’, baby,” she smiled, but she happily followed the other girl to the work table where the little wooden box sat.

“I said I would, didn’t I? Now go ahead and open it,” Inara smiled, her bottomless dark eyes fixed on the younger girl’s eager face. Sure enough, when she opened the lid and saw what was inside, her smile grew so huge that it made Inara’s stomach squirm with happiness.

“Strawberries!” Kaylee squealed joyfully, throwing her arms around her companion’s neck. “’Nara, you shouldn’t have.”

“Of course I should have, they’re your favorite.” She plucked a fat red one from the top, dangling it in the air in front of Kaylee’s lips. “Don’t you want to try one?”

“Uhh…” Kaylee hesitated, and Inara frowned in confusion. “Why don’t we save ‘em for later? I ain’t real hungry now, is…is all…” She sniffled, and hastily pulled the crumpled handkerchief out of her pocket again. “Ashhiew! …*sniff.*”

“Kaylee,” Inara said sternly, putting her hands on her hips. “If you’re too ill to enjoy fresh strawberries, then you’re certainly too ill for work.”

“’Naraaa,” Kaylee whined petulantly, crossing her arms sullenly over her grease-smudged tunic.

“Kayleeee,” Inara shot back, teasing. She grinned gently to show she meant no harm, but Kaylee’s miserable pout only deepened in response. “If I come back to your bunk and cuddle with you, then will you rest a while, please?” The light-haired girl pondered this for a moment, her scowl softening slightly.

“Can I come back to your shuttle, instead?” she asked shyly.

[W.I.N.]

Kaylee is shiny!

This is darling. You're going to keep going, right?

~W.I.N.

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

YOU'RE shiny! Thanks so much for posting!

*waits patiently, hoping for more*

~Me

[Blah!?]

D'awwwwww... Kaylee's as adorable as ever.

Thanks so much for this. There have been plenty of Firefly fics, but I don't think anyone's done one about Kaylee.

[wannablessedbe]

Hey peeps!

Thanks for the shiny feedback-- it's great to know I'm not the only one digging this pairing. And can I just say that I am SO RELIEVED that the site is back up-- I was so freaked that it might be permanent! But I started writing this chappy while it was down, anyway, just hoping it would get to see the light of day...and hooray, we're back! Hope you all enjoy this

NB: Kaylee's Chinese cursing translates roughly to "go fuck your ancestors." It's a common Mandarin curse according to wikipedia!

Shiny

Chapter 2

By WannaBlessedBe

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Kaylee was yawning before they reached Inara’s shuttle, and she didn’t even make any naughty jokes when her dark-haired lover undressed her; she was too busy shivering, her teeth chattering loudly as she stood there in her underwear with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “Huhh…heh-tchiiew! …*sniff*…huh-chhiew! …*sniff, sniff.*” Kaylee bent forward and sneezed into her hands, then wiped them unselfconsciously on her thin undershirt.

“Bless you, sweetie! Poor thing, you’re freezing…come here.” Inara didn’t bother wrapping Kaylee up in any of her thin silks, but pulled her straight into bed, where she could warm her with good old-fashioned body heat. When she heard Kaylee sniffle again, she crossed the room to open a drawer in her bureau, pulling out a pale purple, lace-embroidered handkerchief. “Here, baby, you need this.”

“I can’t blow my nose on that!” Kaylee protested, shrinking back slightly against the pillows. “It’s fancy!”

“Kaylee, I have dozens of these lying around,” Inara laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking her hair reassuringly. “I can certainly spare one. No arguments,” she added, noticing the unfocused, vaguely ticklish expression blossoming on the younger girl’s face again.

“Ohh…okay…hehh-ishiiew!" Kaylee hastily pressed the new handkerchief around her nose, curling up on her side under the covers as the powerful sneeze gripped her body.

“Yi bai sui,” Inara said gently, laying a warm hand on Kaylee’s back while she blew her nose, sighing wearily. “Poor little thing…you’re not well at all.”

“I’m real glad you’re home,” Kaylee murmured absently as Inara slipped into bed beside her, and wrapped her warm arms around the shivering girl.

“Me too,” Inara agreed quietly, pulling Kaylee tightly against her, and lightly trailing her fingers up and down the younger girl’s spine. “If I’d known you were ill, I would’ve come sooner. You should have waved me, mei-mei.”

“Aw, ‘Nara…it ain’t that bad,” Kaylee sighed sleepily against Inara's neck, her voice already growing heavy. “I’d feel awful guilty pulling you away from payin’ clients just cause I got a little bit of a cold. But it’s real nice…” She trailed off into a yawn. “…that you wanna take care of me.”

“Of course I want to take care of you, bao-bei.” Inara moved her hand up to Kaylee’s hair, which always soothed her to the point of near hypnosis. “You’re my everything, Kaylee...you’re my sunshine. You ought to know that by now.”

“Bet you say that to…all the girls…” Kaylee’s voice trailed off, teetering on the edge of sleep; Inara began to hum a soft lullaby from Sihnon, one of her favorites as a child.

“Kaylee!” Mal’s thunderous voice ripped through the intercom, making the almost-asleep girl jerk up with a startled squeak, eyes wide with panic. “Where you at, girl? You fixin’ to keep us on this rock all day?!”

“Cào nǐ zǔzōng shíbā dài,” Kaylee cursed, rubbing her sweaty forehead. “I’d better go…” She broke off into a jagged cough, hastily twisting away from Inara to shield her from stray germs.

“Don’t you dare move from this bed,” Inara said flatly, putting a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder as if to hold her there. “You’re sick, mei-mei, and you need to rest, and that’s that.”

“But the captain…”

“I’ll deal with Mal,” the dark-haired girl insisted, and the authoritative tone in her voice brokered no argument. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

“’Kay,” Kaylee nodded dazedly, a faintly anxious expression clouding her face. She had never failed to follow a direct order from the captain before, and the idea plainly didn’t sit well. Inara smiled reassuringly and kissed her forehead, and Kaylee smiled faintly back. Then Inara marched out of her shuttle just in time to intercept Mal in the hall, clearly headed their way.

“Gorram it, Inara,” he growled, shaking his fist. “If I find my mechanic in that there shuttle during workin’ hours one more time, I’ll”—

“What, Mal?” Inara crossed her arms and glared at him, calling his bluff. “What exactly will you do?” He blinked at her, stuttering wordlessly for a moment.

“I’ll…well, now, I’ll…I’ll wallop her backside, that’s what!” He finished lamely, and Inara had to work hard not to smile. It was so obvious that Mal would never raise a hand to Kaylee. She brought out his protective nature more than anyone, and even without her companion training on social cues and body language, Inara knew that Mal could no more lay a finger on Kaylee than he could put on an Alliance uniform.

“I see,” She nodded slowly, still annoyed with him for whipping her tired girl into a panic when she was so close to sleep. “Some sort of emergency in the engine room, or are you just on a general rampage?”

“No emergency ‘cept my mechanic ain’t given us clearance for takeoff. I don’t pay her to be dallyin’ around in that shuttle, Inara, and you gorram well know it. This ain’t the dang love boat, and she ain’t your little dress-up doll”—

“She’s sick, Mal,” Inara cut in, unwilling to wait for him to finish his rant. “And I almost got her to sleep before you started shouting, so…”

“Kaylee’s sick?” All the fury drained immediately from the captain’s rough face, as he stood there looking abashed. “Aww, well I didn’t…you never…you oughta’ said that first,” he grumbled, his tone as close to petulant as Inara had ever heard. “It ain’t nothin’ serious?”

“I don’t think so,” Inara said mildly, “But if you drag her back into that engine room right now”—

“Naw, ‘course not. You go on and take care a’ her, then. I never—she never said nothin’ to me, is all.”

“Well she’s no complainer, our Kaylee,” Inara said softly, but with a hard look in her eyes as she held the captain’s gaze a moment longer. It had the desired effect—she could see Mal’s expression turn thoughtful, probably thinking back over the past couple of days, wondering why he hadn’t noticed how quiet Kaylee had been, or heard her coughs and sneezes and sniffles.

“Naw, she ain’t,” he agreed gruffly. “All right if I come in an’ check on her a mite? She might rest a little easier if I order her to, I reckon.” Inara couldn’t argue that point, so she turned and lead the captain back into her shuttle, where Kaylee was curled limply on her side in Inara’s soft bed, eyes half-closed.

“Is the capt’n real mad?” She asked faintly when she saw Inara.

“I ain’t mad,” Mal said as he came up behind the companion, sitting himself on the edge of the bed and lightly ruffling Kaylee’s hair. “You oughta have told me when you started feelin’ off, kiddo. My crew don’t work sick, you hear?”

“Uhh…” Kaylee shivered, and brought the lacy handkerchief in her hand up to her face. “Hetchhiew! …*sniff*…yes, capt’n,” she mumbled meekly, blinking up at his stern expression with a faint smile. She knew as well as Inara that the captain had a nice, big soft spot for her.

“All right, then.” He ruffled her hair once more, making a poorly disguised attempt to feel her forehead. “You want me to send the doc over?”

“Nah…*sniff*…ain’t much he can do, anyhow. All’s I need’s a little sleep…an’ I got Inara fussin’ over me.” She raised her sleepy eyes past the captain, to where the companion stood just behind his shoulder. Inara beamed back at her so brightly, that the captain suddenly felt like he was intruding—even more so than when he accidentally stumbled upon them kissing in the engine room.

“Uh, right then…you get better now, little pup. Somethin’ bound to break in this ol’ boat ‘fore too long.”

“Mm-hmm,” Kaylee agreed absently, and suddenly Mal couldn’t get out of there fast enough. The last thing he saw before he turned and left the shuttle was Inara taking the spot he’d just vacated, leaving soft kisses all over Kaylee’s face until her eyes slipped shut. He’d known they were gettin’ into each other’s pants for quite a while now…but he’d thought it was purely recreational— two fit young people just blowin’ off steam together. Truth was, he hadn’t really thought Inara was capable of anything more than that, after all her companion training, or he would’ve…well. It didn’t matter now. Seeing the look they’d just given each other, he knew his chance with Inara would never come, nor would anyone else’s. He heard her start to sing a quiet, hauntingly beautiful lullaby as he slipped out the shuttle doors, preparing to get Wash into the engine room for the final checks before takeoff.

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

Oh. My. God! You have...you are...gah! I read a lot of fanfic (no, really, a LOT), and I have never, EVER read a single Firefly fanfic that had the characters' speech patterns down as well as in this fic. Especially Mal: even as the linguistics geek I am, I have a huge amount of trouble writing his words, but you just made them flow effortlessly. I could see and hear every moment of the story. Not to mention the overall characterization. I already knew I was a fan of your writing from you South of Nowhere pieces, but since I never saw that show, I had no idea just how phenominal you really are! Thanks so much for posting this, and I'm very much lookng forward to seeing more!

~Me

[Lady Blessington]

Kaylee/Inara snuggles = love.

[Zee]

I think this is one of those rare things that I never thought of, but have always needed. Please keep it up - I'll beg if you want

[Candy]

!!!!!

Words fail me...JFDKLSHMGPTGHSDWA!

I LOVE Kaylee and Inara and you just completely got them and...GAH I can't even express how awesome this is!

[wannablessedbe]

yay for feedback! since you INSIST, here's some more...

Thanks for reading!

--WBB

Shiny

Chapter 3

By WannaBlessedBe

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Inara lay beside Kaylee, humming softly and stroking the younger girl’s soft brown hair, long after she’d fallen asleep. Though she knew there wasn’t much else she could do to make Kaylee feel better right now, she couldn’t quell the urge to stay close to her, reaching out every so often to feel her forehead, or leaning her ear down near to the sleeping girl’s lips to be sure she was breathing all right through her stuffy head. But she seemed to be sleeping comfortably, at least for a while. After about an hour, Kaylee started to whimper and shift restlessly, and Inara wasn’t surprised to feel a feverish warmth radiating from her skin.

“Shh, mei-mei,” she whispered, smoothing back a damp lock of hair from Kaylee’s forehead. “I’m here…”

“No, don’t,” Kaylee mumbled in her sleep, starting to shiver again. “That ain’t a good planet…” She coughed and rolled onto her side, unconsciously curling up closer to Inara. “Don’t go there, please…” Though she hated to leave her for even a second, Inara slipped out of bed then to get an instant cold pack from her first-aid kit, and a dose of standard-issue meds to bring the fever down. Kaylee was so deeply asleep, the injection in her arm didn’t even wake her. As delicately as she could, Inara slipped back between the sheets beside her, curling up with the cold pack held to Kaylee’s forehead.

“No, no,” Kaylee whimpered when the coldness hit her skin, tossing her head restlessly on the pillow. “That’s too many circuits…”

“Shh,” Inara whispered again, reaching her free hand down to Kaylee’s stomach, rubbing light circles around her bellybutton. “You’re all right, baby, you’ve just got a little fever. Just lie still; there now…” Kaylee whined, and her eyes snapped open blearily.

“What’s goin’ on?” She mumbled hazily, sleepy and disoriented.

“You’ve got a fever, mei-mei,” Inara said gently, unsure whether Kaylee was really awake. She still looked so tired; her eyes were barely open. “You just need to rest, okay?”

“Okay, ‘Nara…” The younger girl’s voice was so faint and sleepy, it made the companion’s heart swell with fierce love and protectiveness. Then Kaylee sniffled heavily, and Inara noticed that her nose was starting to run. Pulling the lacy handkerchief out of the almost-asleep girl’s limp hand, Inara gently pinched it around Kaylee’s slightly pink nose, then swiped it once underneath. Though her touch was very light, Kaylee’s eyes cracked open again.

“Did you just wipe my nose?” she asked, in the same hazy, sleepy voice.

“Yeah,” Inara nodded, smiling a little sheepishly.

“Wow…” Kaylee yawned, smiling back drowsily. “You must really love me.”

“I really love you,” Inara agreed quietly, kissing her sleepy girl lightly on the lips, germs be damned. “Like I’ve never loved anyone else in the universe.”

“Will you tell me that again when I wake up?” Kaylee murmured, and Inara chuckled lightly.

“I’ll tell you every day,” she whispered.

“Shiny,” Kaylee sighed. Then she curled up tightly on her side as her breathing sharpened, rubbing a finger under her flaring nostrils. “Hehhchiiew! …*snrf.*”

“Bless you, sweetie,” Inara said soothingly, reaching out to wipe Kaylee’s sniffly nose again. But she could already feel another sharp breath filling her girlfriend’s ribcage, so she kept the handkerchief pinched lightly around Kaylee’s nose, patiently waiting for her to sneeze again.

“Ahhhh…ahh-tchiiew! Ishhiiew!…*snrf.*” Kaylee shivered and sneezed repeatedly into Inara’s hand.

“Bless you,” the dark-haired girl said again, no trace of annoyance or disgust in her gentle voice as she swiped the slightly damp handkerchief under the younger girl’s nose again. “I think it’s time for a fresh one of these, huh?” She left the used one with Kaylee, who was still rubbing sleepily at her nose, and came back a moment later with another one. There was no argument about ruining Inara’s fine things this time; Kaylee was far too drowsy and disoriented to notice details like a new handkerchief now.

“My nose is all tickly,” she mumbled absently, her eyes still just slits.

“I know, baby,” Inara murmured back, smiling gently as she smoothed a few locks of hair back from Kaylee’s face. “You’ve got an awful cold, haven’t you?” Kaylee just sighed sleepily, her eyes finally slipping closed again as Inara’s hand moved lightly through her hair. “Sweet dreams, bao-bei,” the companion whispered, kissing her love lightly over both eyelids. When she was sure Kaylee was truly asleep, she slipped out of bed, headed to the kitchen to make some of her mother’s famous soup for her sleeping angel. She just hoped that Jayne wouldn’t be there to tease her.

[W.I.N.]

This story just keep getting more and more adorable.

I love Jayne, so I'm kind of hoping he *is* there to tease her...

Also, I kind of feel bad for Mal. Poor idiot should have made his move when he had the chance.

~W.I.N.

[Candy]

d'awwww! It's so sweet and adorable and I just want more!

[ellwren]

cute and sweet, just like Kaylee.

[frozenfire]

here, here! as a diehard Firefly fan, you've done an amazing job here, WBB. props, and as always, encouragement.

-a

[Omni]

Ah its so nice to see fellow brown coats!

I've been so busy lately I haven't made it around here to see this! what a shame *shakes his head*

I needed to say that this is amazing, I love the way you've captured the essence of the characters in this story. I fin it believable and compelling. I also like the subtle references to the show itself (strawberries comes to mind). Overall a great work!

-Omni

[wannablessedbe]

Hola, Brown Coats!

So glad to see so many Firefly fans lurking about here! Thanks for your awesome feedback. I hope you will enjoy this next bit as much as Jayne enjoys spending time with Vera

Shiny

Chapter 4

By WannaBlessedBe

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Inara had barely left her shuttle when River was upon her, grinning innocently with her arms full of all her favorite toys. “Simon is working,” she stated flatly. “Excessive free time is problematic. Kaylee isn’t working. Kaylee can address the situation with superior referencing.” Her smile brightened; she was having a good day.

“Oh, sweetie…Kaylee can’t play with you today,” Inara explained gently, hating to be the one causing River’s smile to fade. “She isn’t feeling very well. Do you understand, mei-mei? She needs to sleep so she can feel better.” River cocked her head like a curious bird, her eyes staring off into space for a few calculated moments.

“Acute coronavirus,” she stated calmly, as if reciting for an exam. “An enveloped virus with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and a helical symmetry. Genomic size ranges from approximately 16 to 31 kilobases. Both viral and cellular proteins are required for replication and transcription. In healthy cell-mediated immune response, leukocytes destroy the virus through phagocytosis and destroy infected cells to prevent further viral replication.” She blinked, snapping back into herself, with a satisfied expression.

“Um…” Inara blinked quizzically, and River sighed, rolling her eyes at the companion the way she so often did with her brother.

“She’ll feel better soon,” the younger girl clarified. Then, almost shyly, she added— “We can help?”

Inara let River help her in the kitchen, even though she was a tiny bit nervous about giving the eccentric, unpredictable teen access to a drawer full of knives. But it ended up working in her favor, because as soon as Jayne sauntered in and saw River at the chopping block with the fat butcher’s blade, he turned around and ran straight back out again, hollering that he wasn’t gonna to be her gorram pincushion twice. When it was finished, the fragrant soup filled the kitchen with smells of home and comfort, and River cheerfully informed Simon that she “helped fix Kaylee.” But when they got back to Inara’s shuttle, Kaylee was still sound asleep, pale and sweaty and snoring softly with her face pressed into the pillow. River left reluctantly, only after Inara had promised she could come back tomorrow, and assured her that Kaylee would know they’d both helped make the soup.

When Kaylee finally woke, it was the middle of the night. The shuttle was dark, and Inara’s warm body was curled around hers, one arm wrapped protectively around her stomach. She hated to wake her companion; but she was desperate for a drink of water. She crawled out of bed as delicately as she could, but tripped over the low coffee table before she was halfway across the room, landing with a rather loud crash.

“Shit,” she whispered grumpily, sitting in a heap in the darkness.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Inara murmured, switching on her bedside light as she sat up and rubbed her eyes, smiling drowsily. “Are you all right?”

“Sorry I woke you,” Kaylee sniffled miserably, making no move to get up from the floor where she sat sprawled, wiping her nose on her hand. “I was tryin’ to be…quiet…hehhchiiew! …*snrf.*” Kaylee snapped forward and sneezed into her lap, then immediately started to cough.

“Oh, honey,” Inara crooned, slipping out of bed with a blanket to wrap around Kaylee’s shivering shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug on the floor. “I don’t want you to be quiet, all right? I want you to tell me what you need, always. And if I’m asleep, I want you to wake me up. Understand?” Kaylee nodded bashfully, and rubbed her hand under her nose again.

“I just wanted a glass of water, is all,” she sniffed sheepishly. Inara kissed her forehead and pulled her back into bed, then brought her a cup of water from the pitcher by her tea tray, which Kaylee gulped down gratefully.

“There, now,” Inara murmured soothingly, drawing Kaylee’s body close to hers again so she could feel her face. “You’re still awfully warm, bao-bei. Are you hungry at all?”

“You don’t gotta coddle me all night, ‘Nara,” Kaylee sighed, her voice a mixture of annoyance and resignation. “You oughta just go on back to sleep, okay baby? I’ll just get somethin’ from the mess, and go back to my bunk.”

“Kaylee, I don’t want you to do that,” Inara frowned, running a hand through her lover’s light hair to cup the back of her neck. “I thought we’d already discussed this, hmm? I want to coddle you. Please, won’t you let me?” She rubbed her thumb over the nape of Kaylee’s neck as she spoke, which always helped her get her way with the mechanic when she was being particularly stubborn. This time, however, the effect was mitigated by the interference of Kaylee’s itchy nose, which she hastily covered with both hands.

“Hashhiiew! …*sniff, sniff.*” Kaylee sniffled, and sighed miserably.

“Bless you, sweetheart,” Inara said gently, picking up a fresh handkerchief from the stack she’d left on the bedside table, and handing it over to the sniffling girl.

“Tha…thadks…” Kaylee’s breath caught as she took Inara’s offering, cupping it hastily to her rather pink nose. “Atchhiew! Hehh-tchiiew! …*snrf.*” Her shoulders snapped each time she sneezed, sending quick shivers through her feverish body. “Uhhh…I’b gettig a lil’ dizzy, here,” she mumbled, leaning into Inara so her hot forehead rested on her companion’s cool shoulder.

“Here, just lie back down now…there you are.” It wasn’t hard for Inara to get Kaylee to lie back against the soft pillows, despite her garbled protests.

“What if I keep you up all night? You’ll be all tired an’ grouchy tomorrow, an’ it’ll be all my fault,” Kaylee sniffed, sounding close to tears. “I don’t wanna be a burden to you, ‘Nara.”

“Kaylee, Kaylee…you are such a silly girl,” Inara whispered, shaking her head as she beamed down at her beloved. “You could never, in any universe, be a burden to me, mei-mei. Why is that so difficult for you to believe?” Kaylee didn’t answer, but rubbed absently at her itchy nose until her breath welled up and her eyes snapped helplessly shut again.

“Huhhh…hehchiiew! …*sniffff*…huhh-tchiiew! …*cough, cough.*” Kaylee started to cough as soon as she’d caught her breath, and Inara helped her take another sip of water.

“Bless you, love,” she said gently. When there was no response, Inara took a different tactic. “What if our positions were reversed, then? If I was lying here with a fever, sick and miserable, and I told you to just go back to bed and leave me be? Would you?”

“Hell no!” Kaylee exclaimed without hesitation. Inara cocked her head and raised an eyebrow triumphantly. Kaylee smiled sheepishly.

“There’s my favorite smile in the ‘verse,” Inara said softly, leaning down to plant a soft, lingering kiss on Kaylee’s warm forehead. “Now…let’s try this again. Are you hungry, bao-bei? River and I made you some lovely rosehip-herbed soup.”

“You did? And River, too?”

“Oh, yes, she insisted. She’s quite fond of you, you know.” Kaylee reached up and ran her hand over the companion’s cheek, and they both sighed, getting lost in each other’s eyes for a few timeless moments.

“I reckon I’m pretty fond of her, too.”

[jsullivan]

I've been following this and wanted to say that I love it! You have all of the people perfectly in character and everything is adorable and wonderful! Keep up the good work!

[weevill25]

GAAAAHHHH WANNABLESSEDBE YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN!!! how is it that you know how to write a story that will make weevill melt in a puddle of goo?? lol i LOVE THIS!!! and i WANT MORE!!! its so utterly adorable!! i love firefly and i love the inara/kaylee pairing!!! GAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!

hee hee...more??

[Candy]

Awwwwwwwwww so cute and hot and JSFLKDGHASKFHDJD!!!

>.>

<.<

MORE PLEASE????? <3

[wannablessedbe]

Hey crew! Thanx for the fabulously hyperbolic praise! this chap is something kinda new for me. I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say...how long do things stay quiet on firefly?

Shiny

Chapter 5

By WannaBlessedBe

………………………………………………………………………………………………

“How is it?” Inara asked anxiously, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Kaylee’s ear while the younger girl sipped a steaming cup of soup.

“Good,” Kaylee sighed, closing her eyes with a contented expression as the hot liquid hit her throat. “It’s clearin’ out my head a little, too. Shoulda’ known you’d be a good cook, on top of everything. That somethin’ they teach you at the academy?”

“Nope,” Inara shook her head, grinning shyly, which confused Kaylee a little. “That’s something my mother taught me, a very long time ago. She was very skilled with home remedies…she always made this soup whenever one of us was ill. I haven’t made it in years, though. I was worried it might not come out very well.”

“Well you can stop worryin’, cause it’s perfect. I don’t think I could stomach anythin’ else right now, anyhow.” Inara beamed, her expression so innocently joyful that Kaylee felt momentarily older than her companion; like she was seeing the little girl inside her lover’s bottomless brown eyes. “You’re perfect, too,” she added softly, leaning over to kiss the dark-haired girl below her ear.

Suddenly, the ship shuddered and lurched sideways. The soup spilled and crashed to the floor. Kaylee immediately jumped up, stumbling a little even after the walls stopped shaking. Knowing there would be no stopping her, Inara just followed, reaching out a steadying hand toward Kaylee’s back.

“Wash?” Kaylee spoke into the comm, rubbing her forehead as if to rouse her brain to full alertness. “What’s…*cough, cough*…what’s goin’ on up there?” She waited a beat, but nothing came back through the comm but crackling silence. “Wash? …Anybody on the bridge?” Kaylee called again, a bit louder. Again, there was no response. “Aiyah tyen’ah,” she groaned, releasing the comm.

“What’s happened?” Inara asked anxiously, one hand still resting lightly on Kaylee’s lower back.

“No idea,” Kaylee sniffed, wiping her nose absently on the back of her arm as she twisted around and grabbed her clothes off the floor, hastily yanking them back on. “I gotta go check this out, baby. You stay put ‘till you hear from me, ‘kay?”

“Tsai boo shi,” Inara said flatly, eyes flashing. “I’m going with you.”

“’Nara…” Kaylee trailed off, her expression going out of focus as she cupped her hands quickly to her face. “Ahh-tshiiew! …*sniff.*” She rubbed her nose with the end of her sleeve. “Ai’yah,” she groaned softly.

“Bless you. And don’t argue with me, it will only waste time,” Inara said calmly, folding her arms across her chest. “You’re in no condition to be running around the ship looking for trouble, bao-bei. I know you’ve got to anyway. But you are not going alone, do you hear me?” They stared at each other silently for a moment; then Kaylee nodded, and reached for Inara’s hand. Together, they hurried out the shuttle’s doors and into the dimly lit hall, where the emergency power grid below the floor was activated. They didn’t have time to take in anything else before an ugly man with an enormous rifle stepped in front of them. They both squealed and jumped backwards.

“Into the cargo bay,” he snarled, baring his rotten yellow teeth (or at least, what was left of them). This was no fed; this was an outlaw. Whether this was better or worse than the alternative, neither of them was really sure. Too terrified to speak, they made their way silently down the stairs, gripping each other’s hands tightly. At the first landing, Kaylee stumbled dizzily into Inara, who managed to keep her on her feet until the momentary vertigo passed.

“Keep movin’!” The thug barked, and Inara wanted to scream at him to be quiet and leave her baby alone. Years of training her impulse control kept her in check, though she did cast an anxious sideways glance at Kaylee’s pale face, trying to catch her eye.

“Okay?” She whispered urgently, wrapping her arm firmly around her companion’s waist.

“Uh-huh,” Kaylee mumbled, but Inara knew she was lying; she could feel the shivery fever chills starting up again in the warm body beside her. Why hadn’t she insisted the younger girl take a jacket before they’d left the shuttle? As if that would help her if ugly here decided to blow a hole through her. Pushing that thought firmly out of her mind, Inara pulled Kaylee along to the cargo bay, where she could see the others already congregated, also held at gunpoint. Relief flooded through her when she saw that no one had been hurt. Yet.

“Git’ over there, now,” their captor growled, circling around to join the two other unwelcomed guests. The captain was stone-faced, with Zoe at his elbow. Jayne was leering at the intruders like a caged animal, baring his teeth, while Sheppard Book stood perfectly still beside him, his expression revealing no hint of how he felt about having a gun trained on his face. Wash and Simon had the sense to look terrified, and River’s expression was the same as always—blank and vaguely curious.

“Right, now,” one of the dirty men said, apparently the leader. He stank to high heaven and had an ugly scar down the left side of his face. “Y’all gonna take a little detour, like. Me an’ my boys be needin’ a little cover from the law, an’ this here fei-yu boat gonna give it.” Kaylee stiffened, and Inara had to fight the wildly inappropriate urge to laugh—even in the deadliest of situations, she knew, the young mechanic couldn’t abide aspersions on her beloved ship. It reassured the companion to know that her bao-bei wasn’t too sick to get pissed off.

“If’n everybody’s smart, here,” chief ugly continued, “ain’t no need for bloodshed today. Y’all gonna take us on outta here, drop us where we say, an’ that there’s the end of it. Anybody decide to get heroical-like, we’ll have ourselves some carnage. Dong ma?”

“We get you,” Mal said evenly, his eyes calm and unblinking.

“Smart man,” ugly #1 nodded. “Now where’s your pilot?” Wash reluctantly raised his hand. “Pedro, take ‘im up to the bridge. Make sure he points this fei-yu boat the right way.” Ugly #2 grabbed the back of Wash’s shirt, and shoved him toward the stairs.

“Hey! I’m walking! No need for the manhandling,” Wash yelped indignantly. Kaylee bent over and coughed, but no one seemed to notice over the racket the pilot was making on his way up the stairs. Inara slipped out a hand and rubbed her back, feeling the heat radiating through her shirt as her whole body seemed to rattle with coughing.

“The rest of you can jus’ sit down an’ shut up,” ugly #1 said, gesturing with the end of his gun toward the rest of the crew, who sat down uneasily on whatever crates they were nearest to, while the second thug went around tying their wrists with thick rope. Inara could hear Kaylee take a small, sharp breath beside her, and glanced over in time to see her scrunching her eyes shut and pinching her nose, trying her best to hold back the itchy sneeze inside her head.

“Tchiiew! …*snrf.*”

“I believe I asked for some peace and quiet,” chief ugly snarled, whipping around to glare threateningly at Kaylee, who wiped her pink nose hastily on her sleeve.

“Sorry,” she whispered, sounding terrified. He narrowed his eyes at her, taking in the sheen of perspiration coating her pale face.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” He growled suspiciously, like he thought she might be faking in hopes of causing some diversion for the others.

“Nothin’,” Kaylee mumbled, rubbing her nose on her arm again and staring at the floor. Inara could hear the ticklish note in her voice, though, and knew that there was nothing she could do to keep it in.

“Ksshhiew! …*snrf, snrf.*”

“Gorram it, girl! I told you to shut it!”

“Hey!” Inara snarled, jumping up and putting herself between Kaylee and the end of ugly’s gun. “She’s just got a cold, all right? She can’t help it. Are you really going to shoot her for sneezing?” The room buzzed faintly with tension as they all waited, frozen, praying that Inara hadn’t pushed old ugly too far; each of them tensed to spring in case she had. The end of his gun was barely a foot from her stomach.

“Get in my face again, an’ I will shoot you,” he rumbled, his voice low and threatening. “I’m sure your crew here would miss a pretty lil’ thing like you, wouldn’t they? Now sit down and keep that girl quiet, dong ma?” Inara swallowed her terror and nodded, feeling Kaylee grab her and yank her back clumsily with her tied hands. The younger girl’s face was so pale now, Inara was worried she might pass out.

I’m sorry, Kaylee mouthed silently. Inara shook her head and leaned her shoulder against the trembling girl, trying to soothe her the only way she had left. They all sat mutely as the minutes stretched into hours, the silence absolute except for Kaylee’s irrepressible sneezing every few minutes, made worse by the fact that she couldn’t blow her nose with her hands tied. She wiped her running nose on her sleeves so often, it quickly turned raw and pink. Once their hijacker was convinced that she wasn’t trying to signal the others, and that she really did just have a cold, it didn’t seem to bother him much, and he didn’t yell at her again.

Eventually, Wash radioed down from the bridge that they’d reached the designated coordinates, and were docked with whatever crappy space station was servicing this forgotten edge of the ‘verse. “Good man,” ugly growled, jerking his head toward his second. “We’ll jes’ be gettin’ off here, an’ y’all good people is free to carry on. Course, we’ll be needin’ some bit of insurance you ain’t gonna be turnin’ round on us for some payback the minute we get off this gorram crap-float.”

“We ain’t the vengeful types,” Mal said stonily, sitting as still and straight as ever. “No percentage in it.”

“That’s a mighty smart attitude, son, but we got to be sure, you understand.” He reached over and grabbed Kaylee by the back of her shirt, yanking her awkwardly to her feet. “I reckon I’ll take this little one what looks like she’s about to drop. You ain’t gonna fight me none, are ya darlin’?”

“No!” Inara shrieked, leaping to her feet before anyone else could react. “Take me! Don’t take her. Take me instead!”

“’Nara, shut up,” Kaylee hissed through gritted teeth.

“Ain’t nobody gettin’ took,” Mal said firmly, getting to his feet though his hands were still tied. “I told you, Mister, ain’t no need. You can see our ship ain’t armed, an’ we got nothin’ to gain by comin’ after you. You just leave my crew be, an’ you can be right on your way. Everyone wins.”

“You almost got that right, son,” ugly snarled, with an obscene smile. “You all jes’ sit tight here, while little blondie takes a trip with us. You stay here ‘till we call, an’ we’ll tell you where you can fetch her, like. Won’t find her in any damaged condition unless you give us a reason, hear? That’ll give us time to get good an’ gone ‘fore you come around.”

Suddenly, Jayne’s meaty arms came down around the hijacker’s throat, at the exact same moment that Zoë’s foot connected with ugly #2’s face. The momentary distraction allowed Mal to head-butt the man choking on Jayne’s muscle, while Zoë calmly stamped on the second man’s face once he fell to the ground, and Sheppard Book kicked their guns away for good measure. The whole thing was over in less than fifteen seconds. With their captors out cold, it was easy for the crew to untie each other’s hands, and Mal and Zoë quickly rushed off to liberate Wash from the third ugly thug on the bridge. Inara threw her arms around Kaylee’s trembling shoulders and burst into tears.

“S’okay,” Kaylee murmured faintly, leaning heavily into Inara’s arms. “I ain’t hurt…” Her legs wobbled dangerously, and suddenly Book and Simon and River were all there, helping her sit back down on the crates before she fell on her face.

“I’m going to get my med kit from the Infirmary,” Simon said brusquely, all business now that the immediate danger was past. “Stay here, all right?”

“Yep…here’s good,” Kaylee agreed dazedly, curling up with her head in Inara’s lap as her exhaustion overtook her. The companion’s hands were instantly upon her, running all over her body in search of some invisible injury. “Told you I ain’t hurt, baby,” the drowsing girl sighed hazily, as the aftershock and adrenalin drained away. Inara knew she must really be out of it, because they’d never called each other by any of their affectionate pet names in front of the others before; but right now, the companion couldn’t care less who knew what.

“I’m just making sure,” she whispered, smoothing the light brown hair back to press a hand to Kaylee’s forehead.

“That feels soooo good,” the younger girl sighed, closing her eyes and putting one of her hands over Inara’s to hold her there.

“You’re so hot,” Inara sighed worriedly, anxious for Simon to return with the med kit.

“That’s what you say every night,” Kaylee joked, giggling drunkenly. Then she shivered and cupped her newly freed hands to her face. “Hetchhiiew! …*snrf.*”

“Bless you, baby,” Inara murmured quietly, leaning down to kiss Kaylee’s warm temple. She could feel Sheppard Book’s eyes on her, and she looked back up, ready to throw him a death-glare if his expression was disapproving. But much to her amazement, he was smiling serenely down at the both of them. Inara’s shock only lasted a moment, before River knelt down in front of her to pat Kaylee on the head.

“It’s okay now,” River said in a calm, lulling voice. “Inara will fix you.”

“I know,” Kaylee yawned, grinning dazedly. Before Simon returned with the med kit, she was fast asleep in Inara’s lap in the middle of the cargo bay.

[jsullivan]

Fantastic! So realistic, so adorable! Keep up the amazing work =)

[weevill25]

omahgee. weevill wubs!!! lol i like this so much its so cute. love the "irrepressible" sneezing. and the itchy sound in her voice.... you're the best wannablessedbe.

[Omni]

This continues to amaze me with its believability and excellent grasp of the characters....Mal is especially well done.

Once again my heartfelt appreciation for your work...it makes me want to watch the show all over again.

-Omni

[tFM!]

Wow...I know that it's been awhile since you posted the last chapter, but...woah. I love this beyond belief. I've read it like 10 times. Which makes me sound like a creeper. But it's that good =)

[wannablessedbe]

Happy New Year, peeps!

I wasn't sure whether or not there was going to be any more of this story...apparently, there is! Thanks for reading and leaving awesome feedback, as always

NB: Weevill, I haven't forgotten your Buffy/Faith story request! I promise not to start anything new before that; just couldn't leave poor Kaylee hanging ;p

Shiny

Chapter 6

By WannaBlessedBe

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kaylee woke up under the harsh lights of the infirmary, with no memory of how she’d gotten there. It wasn’t exactly her favorite place, since the time she’d spent there when that Fed shot her last year; but the soothing tones of many voices around her reassured her that all was well, along with the hand on her forehead that she knew without looking was Inara’s.

“Everybody’s here,” she murmured, smiling faintly.

“Hey, little Kaylee,” Mal smiled awkwardly, coming over to pat her head when he saw her awake. “What’s the word?”

“Everybody okay, Cap?” She asked groggily, struggling to open her eyes and look around.

“Everyone’s fine, mei-mei,” Inara said gently, rubbing her thumb across Kaylee’s hot forehead and leaning down to kiss her. “How do you feel?”

“I’m cold,” Kaylee whispered, and almost immediately someone laid an extra blanket over her. It helped a little. “Cuddle me?” She begged Inara, who actually blushed under the eyes of the curious crew.

“Oh, baby…there isn’t room on the cot,” Inara explained gently, picking up one of Kaylee’s limp hands, which was icy, and holding it against her cheek to warm it. “As soon as we get you back into bed, I’ll be right there with you,” she promised, taking the younger girl’s hand between both of hers and blowing on it with her warm breath. Kaylee whimpered, her eyes welling up with bright tears that spilled silently into her hair.

“I wanna go now,” she mumbled weakly. “I don’t like the infirmary. It’s so cold…”

“Shhh, bao-bei,” Inara hummed, stroking Kaylee’s soft hair soothingly. “We just need to stay a little longer. Simon’s giving you some medicine, it will help you feel better. Just a little while, love…” Kaylee didn’t reply, but the tears continued to spill silently from her dark eyes, making her sniffle wetly.

“Hey, Kaylee, I ever tell you about the time I pulled a Crazy Ivan on a Trans-U model 5?” Wash said lightly, his voice unusually gentle as he pulled up a chair beside Inara’s.

“Doe,” Kaylee sniffed wearily, raising an arm to wipe her nose, which was beginning to run. Someone’s hand reached over and tucked a fresh handkerchief into hers, which she immediately pressed under her itching nose. “You cad’t pull thad od a Trads-U,” she mumbled as she rubbed her nose. “Id doesed’t have…*sniff, sniff*…the hydraulics.”

“Ahhh…so we thought,” Wash said mischievously, wiggling his eyebrows. Kaylee grinned faintly, and the anxious energy in the room palpably relaxed. Not one of them could bear to see their sweet little mechanic cry. “But as it turns out, there’s a way to bypass the hydraulics if you divert enough power through the G-port. See, we were caught in this vortex…” Wash trailed off when he noticed Kaylee’s eyes going out of focus, her eyebrows crinkling up with a hitched breath. But the tickle welling up in her nose wasn’t quite strong enough to make her sneeze, and after a few silent seconds, she whined impatiently.

“What happed id the…huhhh…id the vortex? *Sniff!*” She pressed the handkerchief to the pink underside of her nose and held it there, trying to quell the itch.

“Well, the grav boot started to go tacky, so we had to think fast before”—

“Ehhh-tchiiew! …*sniff, sniff*.” Kaylee’s head snapped forward weakly, as she caught her sneeze in the handkerchief clamped firmly to her nose and mouth.

“Bless you!” Eight voices chorused, as the sniffling girl blinked and blew her nose.

“Uhhh…thadks. *Sniff.* Sorry, Wash, I thidk…I…” She shivered, holding the slightly damp handkerchief in both hands as her irritated pink nostrils flared again, and her breath hitched ticklishly. “Huhhhhh…*sniff!*” She cupped the handkerchief around her running nose, eyes closed in anticipation. “Ahhhchiiew! …*sniff, snifff.*”

Everyone blessed her again, and she sighed sleepily, rubbing absently at her troublesome nose. “’Nara,” she whimpered, her eyes opening reluctantly to search out the companion’s.

“I’m right here, bao-bei,” Inara hummed soothingly, putting her hand back on Kaylee’s forehead.

“Keep your hands on me…’kay?” The younger girl’s voice was heavy with sleep again, as the drugs working their way through her system started to kick in.

“Sure, baby,” Inara whispered, deliberately ignoring everyone else in the room and concentrating completely on Kaylee. She didn’t care if they teased her later, or if Mal threw a fit about shipboard romances, or Jayne made lewd remarks. All that mattered was making Kaylee feel better, right now. Besides, the companion was fairly certain their cover had already been blown to hell back in the cargo bay. When she finally chanced a glance up, they were indeed all looking at her—but not the way she’d expected. They didn’t look shocked, or even surprised. The companion felt her cheeks go red under the crew’s knowing smiles, and she hastily cleared her throat.

“So, Wash…what happened on the Trans-U?”

The pilot launched back into his tale, and they all listened quietly, Inara gently stroking Kaylee’s hair. No one seemed to want to leave while Kaylee was awake, all of them rushing to bless her every time she interrupted Wash’s story with a sneeze. Eventually, Inara realized that she hadn’t heard the younger girl sneeze or even sniffle in almost fifteen minutes; sure enough, she was fast asleep on the narrow infirmary table, breathing evenly through slightly parted lips.

“Simon? Can I please take her back to bed now?” Inara asked quietly, never stopping her fingers’ gentle play through Kaylee’s hair. “She can’t rest comfortably in here.”

“I suppose,” Simon frowned. “Her fever’s down a bit…you’ll need to take her temperature again in a few hours. If it starts to go up again, I want to know right away.”

“Of course,” Inara nodded gratefully. “Can someone--?”

“I got her,” Mal said gruffly, leaping forward to Kaylee’s side before anyone else and scooping her gently into his arms, blankets and all.

“Uhhh…go’way,” Kaylee whimpered, not opening her eyes. “S’too early…”

“Hǎo de, mei-mei,” Mal said gently, walking carefully through the portal into the hall. “You just sleep. We’re gonna get you nice and snug.”

“Uh-huh…” Kaylee sighed softly, but her eyes stayed closed. Inara stayed at Mal’s elbow, keeping a hand on Kaylee’s knee as they made their way through the ship. They were almost back at Inara’s shuttle when Kaylee coughed and opened her eyes.

“Where we goin’, Cap?” she mumbled, blinking groggily.

“You’re goin’ back to bed, kiddo. We’re almost there…you just gotta rest, now.”

“Uhhh…’kay…” She sniffled and took a small, sharp, anguished breath, raising a hand to clumsily rub her nose. “Chhiiew! …*sniff.*”

“Bless you,” Mal and Inara said together, while Kaylee sniffled again and continued to rub her running nose.

“Uhhh…*sniff!*…sorry I sneezed on your shirt, Cap,” she murmured, yawning hugely.

“It’s okay, little pup. Don’t you worry ‘bout nothin’.”

“’Kay,” Kaylee whispered, her eyes closing again. Inara went ahead of them and pulled back the covers on the bed, and Mal gently laid the mostly-asleep girl down on her side, ruffling her hair lightly before relinquishing her completely. Her eyes didn’t open this time.

“Thank you,” Inara said quietly, squeezing his arm.

“You just make sure you do like the doc says,” Mal said a little gruffly. Inara smiled, wondering if he even realized how obvious his paternal concern for his mechanic was.

“I’ll take care of her, Mal.”

“All right, then.” He sighed reluctantly, cast one last appraising look at Kaylee, and patted Inara’s shoulder. “You just do that.”