Disclaimer: Joss, Fox, Universal Own em’. (Except for Maxine. She's mine) I’m just playing. No money being made.

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A new story line to recharge my Muse. Set outside my “Allanverse.” Just to see what happens. Set about a year and a half post Serenity. Story line has the standard pairings of Mal/Inara, Simon/Kaylee. Also has River/Jayne. Zoë/Maxine -

Warning: This story line from here on out will include 'gasp' fem slash (Like you didn't see it coming). It won't be graphic but I know some are offended by any depiction of homosexuality. If you don't like this kind of thing... stop reading right now.

A/N: Just some fluff before Simon meets the parents.

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New Blood

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Chapter Fifteen

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Upon hearing the news that Serenity would be landing on Meadow in a few days time, Kaylee let out a happy squeal that probably could have been heard outside the ship, even in space.

As everyone recovered from having their ear drums pierced or at least heavily strained, Simon suddenly realized what was going to happen.

He would have to meet Kaylee's parents. Only River noticed his sudden slack jawed expression.

“Cheer up, Ge-ge,” River grinned, “It could be worse.”

“Worse?” Simon squeaked.

“Kaylee could be pregnant...”

“River!” Kaylee admonished, “That ain't nice.”

Maxine tried to hide a snicker and Jayne had a sly grin on his face.

Mal interrupted, “Meetin a girls folks is mighty intimidating. And knowing Thomas... well... been nice knowing you Doc.”

“Behave, Mal,” Inara scolded, “I could put the shoe on the other foot and make you take us to Shinon to meet my parents...”

The color drained out of Mal's face, “Now don't be playin dirty 'Nara. Just teasin the boy.”

“That's my job, Cap'n,” River giggled.

“Reckon it is, Albatross.”

“I gotta wave Momma... let her know we're coming,” Kaylee said excitedly, “We'll have a big shindig.. get all the family there...”

“Easy, Kaylee. We need to do some repairs to Serenity. Ain't gonna have a lot o' time fer parties,” Mal said.

“Knowing Kaylee's family. You really think we can avoid a party, Sir?” Zoë asked with a grin.

“I was hopin...” Mal trailed off.

Kaylee shot a grin in Zoë's direction. The first mate returned it.

“Come on Mal,” Jayne rumbled from the other end of the table, “We ain't been to a decent party in a while... I reckon we deserve one after what we been through the last bit.”

Mal nodded, “You're right Jayne... still we need to be working on the ship too.”

“Not to fret Cap'n. Tween Daddy and me we can get things done in no time.”

“I'll hold you to that, “Lil' Kaylee,” The Captain smiled.

XXXXXXXXXX

After breakfast, Zoë helped Maxine clean up the kitchen. Afterwards, they wandered down to the common area to spend some quiet time together. Both women were relishing the excitement of a new relationship.

Simon let out a little squeak when he walked in on the couple as they made out on the sofa.

“Don't mind me... just... continue on with... whatever,” Simon sputtered, red faced as he entered the infirmary.

Max giggled and Zoë just smiled, “You would think for a core boy he wouldn't be so... uptight about seein two women kissin.”

“I know what you mean,” Maxine agreed, “Besides, I think he's under a bit of stress.”

“Meeting the parents is hard,” Zoë admitted.

“Wash's folks?”

Zoë nodded, “Yeah. They were happy he had married but they didn't like me much. Rare in this day and age, but his folks. Well his dad in particular... calling him a bigot would be a complement. Near on disowned Wash on the spot.”

Max shook her head, “No call for that. Folks is folks. No matter what color their skin is.”

“Specially with us,” Zoë grinned, “Miss pasty white.”

“Hey! That's countless generations of Celtic heritage,” Max grumped good naturedly.

“Whatever. I like the freckles,” Zoë grinned.

“And I have a hankering for some chocolate...”

“Really?” Zoë asked.

“Yep,” Max nodded, “And my bunk is just over there...”

“You don't say...”

XXXXXXXXXX

The Captain stomped into the common area headed for the infirmary. He'd gotten a small cut on his hand from from a crate in the bay and needed to have Simon put a weave on it. He stopped outside the closed door to Simon's domain. The door was almost never shut unless someone needed privacy for something. Mal knocked.

“Yes Captain?” Simon asked as he opened the door.

“You busy, Doc? Don't usually find the door shut...”

“No... not busy. I just shut it to keep the... noise out.”

“What noise?” Mal asked just before the unmistakable sound of his first mate screaming out the words, “Don't stop!” followed by a passionate scream echoed from the direction of the passenger dorms. Mal shuddered.

“That noise,” Simon smirked.

The Captain stepped inside the infirmary and pulled the door shut behind him, “Too much information,” Mal muttered, “How long they been at it?”

“Forty five minutes or so...”

Mal shook his head. After a minute, a grin came across his face, “Least she's havin a good time.”

“From the sounds of things... they both are, Captain, “Simon replied, “Did you need anything?”

“Huh? Oh, got a bit of cut needs a weave.”

“I think I can handle that.”

XXXXXXXXXX

“Son of a.... whoa,” Maxine breathed as Zoë crawled up her body.

“Liked that, did you?” Zoë grinned.

“Ya' think?” Max giggled before pulling Zoë into a deep kiss.

Zoë smiled a sexy smile and curled against Maxine's side, “This bunk is too narrow to snuggle.”

“Yours is a might bigger,” Max admitted.

Zoë thought about that for a minute. Max had spent the last three nights in her bunk and this was the second time they had snuck off in the middle of the day for sex. She couldn't see any other way around it. She was hooked, well and proper to Maxine.

Zoë came to a decision, “Max?”

“Yeah, Ai-ren?”

Zoë smiled with the use of the pet name, “I been thinkin. Maybehaps you should just move your stuff into my bunk...”

“Move... your bunk... stuff?” Maxine squeaked.

Zoë snickered, “Well if I'm gonna mess up your brain like that with the offer...”

Maxine smiled and captured Zoë lips with her own. After a moment she pulled back, “Yes.”

“Yes, broke your brain or yes, you'll move into my bunk?”

“Does both work?”

Zoë giggled, “Maybe”

Maxine's face turned serious, “Are you sure, Zoë?”

“I am.”

Maxine smiled, “Good thing everything I own is in two duffel bags.”

“There is that,” Zoë admitted. Maxine replied with a giggle.

With a contented sigh, Zoë nuzzled against her lover. She loved doing this.

Zoë's breath caught in her throat. Love?

“Bao-bei?” Max asked. She had felt Zoë tense against her, “You okay?”

Zoë's heart was pounding. Was it what she thought it was? That elusive thing called love. The emotion that she had considered lost to her forever. Zoë was confused. She felt a familiar warmth in the center of her chest. The problem was that with that felling came fear. Fear of loosing it.

Zoë had been silent for almost a minute and Maxine was getting slightly worried, “Zoë?”

“Screw it!” Zoë thought to her self, “Gotta hold on to whatever you can. Wash taught me that.”

Zoë cracked a smile, “Sorry, Baby... was just thinkin.”

“Must have been something very profound from the look on your face.”

“It was.”

Max was getting a bit nervous, “Care to share?” she asked nervously.

The smile that brightened Zoë's face warmed Maxine's heart, “I... I think I love you,” Zoë whispered.

It was Maxine's turn to have her breath caught in her throat, “You... you do?”

Now that the word was said. Zoë became more comfortable with it, “Maxine. I love you.”

Max thought she was going to melt. Zoë loved her. She had had only one lover in her life that had said that to her before and that was Sylvia, the girl who had been her first when she was sixteen. Maxine thought her heart was going to bust from her chest with joy.

“I love you too, Zoë.”

There. It was out in the open, Maxine thought. She pulled Zoë tighter to her, relishing in the contact between them. It was a perfect moment.

Which couldn't last. Mal's loud voice and knocking on the door saw to that.

“Zoë!”

With a growl, Zoë rolled off Maxine and stalked to the door, sliding it open, “What, Captain?”

Mal gulped. Suddenly in front of him stood a pissed off and very naked Zoë. Behind her he could see an equally naked Maxine laying on her bunk, propped up on her elbows.

“Um... uhhh...”

“You need something, Mal?” Zoë asked, one eyebrow raising into her hairline.

“Uh, Just wondering if Max was going to be starting lunch anytime...” Mal trailed off. Doing his best to keep his eyes focused on Zoë's face. He'd seen her naked before but not since the war and certainly not just after she had just finished sexing up the cook.

Maxine lost it first and began to giggle. A moment later, Zoë began to chuckle herself. The look on the Captain's face was priceless.

“I'll be heading to the galley in a few, Captain,” Max said after a moment, still grinning.

“Uhh fine.. good. Soon as you can, Max,” Mal said as he turned to leave, doing his best to keep his eyes averted from his naked cook and first mate.

“Sir?”

“Yeah, Zoë?” Mal said pausing mid turn.

“Just so you know, Max is moving into my bunk.”

Mal's mouth opened and closed a couple of times. Making him look like a gasping fish, “O... okay,” he said after a moment.

“Glad you approve,” Zoë said tersely, enjoying the way she was making the Captain squirm, “Otherwise I might have to hurt you.”

Mal froze and stared at his first mate. A sly grin came across his face, “No need for that, Zoë. I know when I'm on the loosing side.”

“I sometimes wonder about that, Sir.”

Mal's smile widened, “Never said I was the smartest man in the 'Verse.”

“Thought that a time or two myself, Sir.”

The Captain got a hurt look on his face for a moment. Then the grin was back, “At least I'm glad to see Max is a natural redhead,” Mal teased before running away.

Zoë sputtered while Maxine roared with laughter.

XXXXXXXXXX

After lunch, Zoë helped Max move her meager belongings from her room in the dorms to Zoë's bunk. As soon as the two duffel bags sat on the floor, Zoë began removing some clothing from her small closet.

“What are you doing?” Max asked.

“Making room...”

Max stepped behind Zoë and wrapped her arms around her waist and resting her chin on the first mates shoulder, “Don't have to move Wash's stuff on my account, you know.”

“Closet ain't that big... need the space.”

“Not that much. I don't have a lot of gear. Leave the shirts at least.”

Zoë looked over her shoulder at Maxine, “Why the shirts?”

“Brighten things up a little. You have to admit, it is a bit drab in here...”

“Them shirts are so loud they need a volume control,” Zoë grinned.

“I know... but, leave em for now. Every time I get something new. We'll take one of the shirts and put it in storage. Will that work for you?”

Zoë turned in Maxine's arms, “Whatever did I do to deserve you, girl?”

Max shook her head, “I don't know but I ain't arguing.”

XXXXXXXXXX

After dinner that night, Simon found the Captain on the bridge. The young doctor cleared his throat as he entered.

“Evenin, Doc.”

Simon looked nervous to Mal's eyes. His voice confirmed it, “How.. hows the hand?”

“Shiny,” Mal replied as he motioned the younger man to take a seat in the copilots chair. It reminded the Captain of another time he had a minor injury and Simon wanted to talk to him, “What's on your mind, Simon?”

Simon tugged on his earlobe, “What... what can you tell me about Kaylee's father?”

Mal tried his best to hide a grin, “Tom is a decent man. Gotta be to have a little girl like Kaylee.”

Simon smiled slightly at that, “True.”

“I'm conjurin you got somethin to ask Kaylee's Daddy once we get to Meadow?”

“And you as well,” Simon said quietly.

“And that would be?” Mal asked, even though he had a pretty good idea.

“I... I want to ask Kaylee to marry me....” Simon trailed off.

“And you want to ask her Daddy for her hand,” Mal asked.

“Yes.”

“She ain't pregnant is she?” Mal asked, trying to get a reaction out of the young man.

“What? No! I mean.. not now but...”

Mal held up his hand, “Relax Simon, just yankin your chain a bit.”

Simon glared at the Captain, “One of these days...”

Mal chuckled, “Ain't today, Doc.”

Simon snorted, “Suppose you're right.”

“You two plannin on havin youngins at some point?”

“I... I know Kaylee does in the future. I... I do too. It's just I'm not sure this is the best environment...”

“Wash used that excuse with Zoë...” Mal muttered. “Zoë grew up vessel side. Didn't hurt her any.”

“It's a big decision.”

“That it is,” Mal agreed, “Inara's been talkin similar. Seems like most o' the women on this boat outside o' your sister and Maxine have felt their biological clocks tickin to some extent at some point or the other.”

“I don't doubt it,” Simon replied.

“Just don't rush it, Doc... but don't take forever neither. Now back to the subject of Kaylee's Daddy. Thomas is a fair man. Smart. Not educated like you but the man is as sharp as a tack. Her momma ain't no pushover either. Treat em' with respect and don't talk down to em' and I'll reckon you'll do fine.”

Simon visibly relaxed, “Thank you Captain.”

“You're welcome. What else did you want to ask me by the way?”

“When we get around to the wedding,” Simon began, “I... I'd like you to be my best man.”

Mal cracked a slight grin, “I'd be honored, Doc.”

XXXXXXXXXX

On his way back from the bridge, Simon entered the galley and stopped dead in his tracks. Jayne and River had spread their guns out on the table for cleaning but instead of cleaning the guns, River was in Jayne's lap, her arms around his neck and Jayne's hands on River's bottom. Their lips were locked together

Sputtering, Simon averted his eyes and marched swiftly through the galley. As soon as Simon was out of ear shot, River giggled a broke the kiss. Jayne grinned.

“You're a little minx ain't ya. Windin your brother up like that...”

“Good for him. Keeps his blood circulating.”

At that moment, Max and Zoë entered the galley, “Oops,” Maxine said as she saw the couple.

“Just ignore em' Baby,” Zoë chuckled as she headed for the cooler, looking for a snack.

“You are in a good mood this evening,” River stated as she climbed out of Jayne's lap.

“Her fault,” Zoë replied, nodding her head in Max's direction.

“You better be inna good mood from the noises comin outta yer bunk a while ago,” Jayne teased.

“You two ain't that quiet yourselves,” Maxine pointed out.

“My Jayne is highly skilled,” River grinned.

Leaning over the counter, Zoë grinned, “So's Maxine...”

“Ain't so bad yourself, Boa-bei.”

River shot Jayne a cross look at the images that went through his brain. The big man caught the look.

“I'm only human, baby girl,” He muttered.

Zoë held up her hands, “I don't wanna know.”

“It had something to do with the two of you and myself and baby oil,” River giggled.

Zoë rolled her eyes and Maxine giggled along with River. Jayne actually blushed slightly.

“Threesomes get complicated,” Max smirked, “And canola oil works better...”

Jayne sputtered once and then with one swift move, Scooped River into his arms and stated: “We'll be in our bunk,” before stomping out of the galley heading for the crew bunks.

“You're evil,” Zoë grinned.

“Comes with the red hair,” Maxine giggled as she rummaged around in a storage cabinet.

“What are you looking for anyway?” Zoë asked.

“Canola oil,” Maxine said before squealing as Zoë chased her out of the galley.

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TBC