Chapter: 7 Chapter Name: Delicious Summary: Mal wakes up, surprised to find a beautiful woman in his bunk. Kaylee decides she'll take care of River until she feels a bit better. Chocolate-dipped strawberry flavored kisses. Warnings: Femme slash Authors Note: Pairings- Kaylee/River, Mal/Inara Disclaimer: I don't own Serenity, or her crew. However, having River, Kaylee, Zoë, and Inara, Mal, Simon, and Jayne around all the time sure as hell wouldn't hurt.

~- ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~

Mal's eyes opened slowly and searched his surroundings. After a few seconds, the rest of his senses returned, and he realized Inara was in bed with him, he looked down at her, cradled in his shoulder, eyes tear stained. He took a deep breath and tried to sit up. He winced and laid back down, finding that his entire abdomen was experiencing sharp pain.

Inara woke up after hearing him wince. She looked up at him and sighed deeply, relieved to see him awake.

"Mal."

"Mind tellin me why we're in bed together, Nara?"

"You don't remember?"

Mal's eyes went wide and he ignored his pain to sit up. "What happened?"

Inara smiled. "Nothing of that nature. You were shot. Again. You should consider a career change."

He grinned. "I'm beginning' at think 'bout it."

She returned his expression. "Good."

"That don't 'splain why you're in ma bunk."

"Uh...Simon said, you needed watching. I pulled the short straw."

Mal nodded disbelievingly. "Short straw, huh?"

Inara nodded. "Yep."

"So do ya wanna go'head and hop up outta my bunk now?"

Inara grinned. "Not really. Would you prefer that I did?"

Mal laid back down, placing his right hand behind his head, and his left around Inara's shoulders. "Nope. Not really."

She smiled and laid down, placing her head carefully into a nook around his shoulder. Within minutes, they fell asleep peacefully.

~- ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~

It had been almost two days, and Kaylee hadn't left her position outside the infirmary. Zoë and Jayne had been bringing her food, and suggesting she go to her bunk, get some sleep. She'd refused more than half a dozen times. She watched as River slept, her chest rising slowly and rhythmically up and down. After about 12 hours, she'd begun to notice River's breathing, something she had thought she'd never see again. It was one of those things you never thought you'd regret taking for granted. But in the wrong situation, always did.

It was the middle of the night, Zoë had brought Serenity back to dock, and had just gone to sleep. The goods were in the hold. Jayne was asleep, as was Simon, finally. Inara was watching Mal to make sure he was alright. Kaylee was the only one awake on the entire ship.

She breathed deep, finally deciding now might be a good time to walk into the infirmary and see River, who hadn't been conscious since minutes after being shot.

Kaylee grabbed a stool and placed beside River's bunk. She sat down slowly and stared at River's face. Peaceful, and beautiful as ever. She reached down and grabbed her hand, placing it on her lap as she held it.

She thought hard, wishing River would wake up. Would say something strange, uncomfortable, something odd. Something trademark River. She closed her eyes, thinking harder. Concentrating.

She wondered if River could hear her, screaming into her mind. Begging her to wake up.

"I can hear you. Well, I can feel you."

Kaylee breathed a sigh of relief. She was amazed that she was the one to have River wake up.

River sat up and crossed her legs, facing Kaylee. "It still hurts. Don't like physical pain."

"River..." She smiled and squeezed the hand in hers. " I was afraid for awhile. That ya weren't wakin up. I'm glad your awake. Maybe I should call Simon. If it hurts, he can give you something."

River shook her head no. "No needles."

"Been awake for awhile. Waiting for Simon. Thought he would feel better, if I woke up for him. He was afraid I would go into a coma. Lost a lot of blood. Jayne donated. Simon was afraid I still wouldn't wake up." She glared into Kaylee's eyes. "But you called for me."

Kaylee nodded. "Why'd ya do whatcha did, River? T'was a dumb thing ta do. Riskin' yur life for me. If youdda died, I wouldn'tna been able ta live with ma self."

River tried to explain. "He was going to shoot you in the head. You wouldn't have survived. Your death would effect Serenity in a complete way. Simon wouldn't be able to live with himself. For acting like he hated you the last time he saw you, and would leave the ship. Serenity would have no doctor. Mal wouldn't be able to live with himself. He thinks of you as his mei mei. Jayne feels more for you than you know. And Zoë and Inara both think of you as a sister as well. Serenity, she would miss you as well. Who would help her, when she needed it? You're the angel of this ship, Kaylee.

River looked away. "Me? I'm trouble. Deep down, Zoë blames me for Wash's death. And Mal realizes how much I apply to the albatross. They tried to kill me, and as a result, Wash and Book are dead. Deep in his mind, Simon sees me as a burden. That's all I am. Too anyone."

Kaylee grabbed River's jaw gently and turned her head to face her. "Not ta me. Ya saved ma life." She smiled as an idea popped into her head. " Can ya walk, River?"

River nodded. "I don't need to be taken care of, Kaylee. I'm fine. I will be, in a day or so."

Kaylee grinned as she stood up. "And ya'll spend that day sleepin' in ma bunk. And I'll take care a' ya. And cook for ya. It'll be like a...like a whole days sleep-over."

River smiled. "I never went to a sleepover."

Kaylee moved the stool to where she'd found it. "Yur about to. it'll be fun." She sat down on the bunk beside River, ready to help her stand and walk.

"Ok. Let's go." River slowly, and nearly toppled back to the bunk, but Kaylee stood firm, and she stayed standing. Within a minute, they were halfway to her bunk. They reached teh hatch and Kaylee footed it open.

"Ok. Think ya can climb on down?"

River nodded and went down slowly, wincing silently as she went. Kaylee dropped down behind her and helped her walk over to the bunk. She pulled back her sheets and River laid down. Kaylee put the sheets back over her.

"Ok, ya hungry?"

River's stomach responded itself by growling loudly. "Haven't eaten but intravenous fluid in 45 hours."

"Food it is then. I got sumthin' ya might like." Kaylee grinned before climbing up her ladder and then running towards the galley.

~- ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~

River sat up in Kaylee's bed and looked around. Kaylee had painted different flowering patterns along the walls. The rest of the room had the same earthy, warm color tones as the engine room. It all reminded her of Kaylee. Smiling, grinning Kaylee. Who happened to be bringing her strawberries at the moment. Kaylee loved strawberries, and had been buying them since Book had died.

River wondered how her brother would take the whole situation.

~- ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ ~

Kaylee smiled and picked up her beautiful wooden box, given to her by book, that she'd been holding strawberries in ever since. She knew she should have at least ten in the box, all of which she planned on giving River.

She stopped moving as Simon, sleepy-eyed, walked into the room.

He scratched his head as he walked. "Hey. Have you seen River? I guess she woke up. She's not in the Infirmary any more. Or her bunk. I thought she may've gotten hungry."

Kaylee took a deep breath. "She's...in ma bunk."

Simon raised an eyebrow. "She's in your bunk..." He dropped his hand from his head. "Why is my little sister in your bunk. Tell me you're not..."

Kaylee shook her head furiously. "No! No. She woke up about 20 minutes ago. I'm jus' taking care of'er. She's still in pain. And she ain't want no needles. So I figured she could stay with me for a day or so. She thought it was a good 'nough idea."

Simon's sleepy look transformed into one of anger. "Yea. Right. I bet you both did. She almost died, Kaylee. And now she's sleeping with you? You disgust me." He stormed out of the galley. For the second time.

Kaylee shrugged. River was more important at the moment than Simon's jealousy and anger. She grabbed a glass of water and trotted off towards her bunk.

She managed to get down the ladder, and found River out of bed, looking at a capture.

"It's my pa. He's an engineer too, back home."

"He appears to be rather Jovial."

Kaylee smiled. "Don't rightly know what that means, but somehow, sounds like pa."

"Literally, means he's large, and perhaps gassy. Figurately, means he's prone to happiness."

Kaylee laughed. "Pa's all three. Brought you a snack."

Kaylee opened the wooden box and took a small bite of a strawberry before walking towards River and offering the deliciously fragrant berry.

Smiling, River opened her mouth and took a big bite. She chewed it slowly, savoring the flavor.

Kaylee grinned. "How was it?"

"Kaylee-esque."

"Me-what?"

"A lot like you. Warm, and sweet, and lusciously fragrant."

Kaylee grinned and reached into the box and pulled out one special berry. It'd been dipped in milk-chocolate Inara had managed to get her hands on. She walked forward, and fed a bite to River.

"And that one, River? That one like me too?"

River nodded. "More so."

Kaylee stepped forward and gently grabbed River's jaw, pulling her in for a passionate, chocolate-dipped strawberry flavored kiss.

Kaylee grinned into the kiss. "Delicious."

River nodded.