�I�m not sure romantic is applicable.� Simon helped ease her onto one of the crates. �You still need to be careful, Kaylee. Don�t wear yourself out.�
�Oh, I�m fine, Simon. No need to be fussin�.� She blushed under his attentions, trying to get more comfortable on the crude seat. It had been near to a day before he�d let her out of the infirmary to move about.
�Don�t see why she�s wantin� to say goodbye anyhow,� Jayne muttered from beneath the weight bar. �Ain�t like three hours is somethin� out of the ordinary. There were this one doxy back on Persephone, red hair and a pair of--�
�I doubt that�s why she wanted to say goodbye.� Book interrupted, watching the exchange almost as carefully as Kaylee.
River tipped her head to the side as she watched. �Not what you think, the words aren�t important.�
�See? That�s romantic, ain�t it?� Kaylee grinned.
�Can�t wait to be rid of us. Hates the sun and the noise.� River drifted closer until Simon put a hand on her arm to stop her. �He�s afraid.�
Jayne snorted as he settled the weight bar and sat up. �Of Inara? Or of you peerin� into his brain all sorts?�
�Of us. Of Serenity.� River had an enigmatic smile on her lips.
�That ain�t can be right. Man killed near a dozen of those sons of whores. Ain�t no way he�d be �fraid of anyone on this boat. Exceptin� me, duhn ruhn.�
Further conversation was halted by Riddick abruptly turning down the ramp, his broad shoulders swallowed up in the bright light of Santo. They�d landed a day�s hard walk from to the nearest settlement to let off their reluctant passenger. It was a mixed bag of emotions watching him disappear and Serenity close up to head back to the black.
Inara�s eyebrows rose as she approached them. �Did you manage to hear any of that?�
�Not a gorram word,� Kaylee sighed with disappointment.
�It wasn�t anything exciting. A few bits of advice for getting around in this verse.�
�Man can fly a ship and kill someone proper, what else you conjure he needs?� Jayne looked puzzled.
�Inara? About what you did.� Kaylee turned red with embarrassment and dropped her gaze to her lap.
�It�s all right, Kaylee,� Inara soothed quickly. �There�s no way I would have let him touch you.�
�I woulda done it. Even though he scared me somethin� awful.�
�Kaylee?� Simon looked as shocked as the rest of them.
�What? I ain�t s�pose to feel bad she did it on account of me?�
�Kaylee.� Inara reached out to touch her face gently. �Nothing happened. He just wanted a safe place to sleep, that�s all.�
�Sleep? That�s feihua. No way a man�d waste three hours in your shuttle sleepin�.� Shaking his head with disbelief, Jayne lay back down and picked up the hand weights.
�You gotta tell the Cap�n. He plays like it don�t but it�s been eatin� him up somethin� fierce.� Kaylee winced when she tried to move, fresh pain radiating through her back. �Shoulda seen him while you were in there. Near came to rescue you more�n a few times.�
�How noble of him,� Inara said tightly and started up stairs to return to her shuttle.
�Gotta be sly,� Jayne huffed as he lifted the weights.
�Said I was beautiful. That ain�t sly.� Kaylee pulled a face when he scowled at her.
�Ain�t the point. He�d be some sorta buhn dahn not to get sexed with Inara. Man ain�t right in the head says no to that.�
�Man ain�t right.� River echoed, her smile widening as she spun slow circles out into the now empty cargo hold. �He�s some kind of crazy.�
