Three days had passed since the job had begun; meaning Serenity was a little under half way to Osiris. During this time, River had spent most of her time in the Infirmary keeping Kaylee company, along with the rest of the crew, who would take turns on sitting in with her. All except Bester, who did not know exactly where Kaylee was. But this day, Kaylee was feeling incredibly trapped in the Infirmary and for once, alone, so she got up and headed towards the Engine Room while Simon was tending to River in her room. She just wanted to see how her ship was doing without her there to help. When she got in there, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Everything was in complete disarray. Wires were out of place, compartments opened. Kaylee just squeaked in shock, but the squeak became a yell of surprise when she saw Bester slide out from under the main engine. “Kaylee! How are you?” Having been near by, Mal ran to the engine room when he heard Kaylee scream and just looked between her and Bester. “Mei-mei, shen me shi bu dui?” “When did Bester get here? What did he do to my girl?” Kaylee’s voice was small and scared, which it should be considering the circumstances. “We picked him up in Londinum for the trip to Osiris so that you could rest.” “But…my ship. What did he do to it?” It did not register in Kaylee’s mind that they were making a trip to one of the Core planets, to the one that Simon came from. “You’ll have to ask him that yourself, because you know I know nothin’ about the mechanics of the ship.” A whimper passed through the mechanic’s mouth as she just turned heel and walked out, running into Jayne. “Kaylee…?” “My girl.” Yes, Kaylee had gone into shock, and Jayne was confused beyond all belief. “Um. Right, let’s get you to Inara.” That made sense, and Jayne knew that Inara and Kaylee talked, the companion could make sense of the ramblings of a crazy girl. Back in the Engine Room, Mal was regretting his decision to let Bester fill in as mechanic. Kaylee had been able to fix Serenity when she’d been shot, but it had made sense at the time. “Bester…” “I know, I know. It’ll be just like she had it by the end of the night.” Mal nodded and walked out, doubting that fact. Instead of running into Jayne though, he ran into a frantic Simon, who had found the Infirmary empty. “Captain, Kaylee’s…” “Just fine. She probably went to visit Inara. She’ll be at dinner, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to talk to Zoe about something.” Simon nodded dumbly as Mal walked off and then looked into the Engine Room and cringed, just praying Kaylee hadn’t seen that. When Kaylee showed up to dinner that night with Inara, the majority of the crew seemed surprised, as they hadn’t seen her outside of the Infirmary. When she took her normal spot next to Simon, whom she offered a small smile to, the mechanic nearly jumped out of her seat when she noticed that Bester had taken a seat on the other side of her. Dinner was going to be interesting. Jayne knew not to say anything about who Simon was (seeing at how Bester never followed the news and thus had no idea about the fugitives) or to make Kaylee uncomfortable, but Mal still had to worry about the tension that was bound to arise with Kaylee sitting between two males who it was obvious both wanted her. Not that they would get her, Mal made certain that they knew this, seeing at how he would constantly shoot looks at them. Bester never was a bright one, so when he put his hand on Kaylee’s leg like he had that day in the bar when he met her, he did not expect the girl to tense up and nearly choke on her food. He also didn’t expect the Captain to know what he was doing and was surprised when Mal cleared his throat and shot him a look. On the other side of Kaylee, Simon had taken to seeing what was wrong and getting no response, causing a frustrated sigh and him going back to picking at his meal. He did not like the fact that Bester was next to Kaylee. He did not like the past that the two had, and he certainly did not like the fact that Kaylee hadn’t said a word throughout the meal, and once done, headed out of the kitchen, presumably to her room. Once she was gone, Bester looked at Simon and spoke to him for the first time in three days. “Just because you have money means nothin’. She was with me before, and will be again. One in a million she is, and she ain’t yours” “Now hold on. Who are you to say to whom she belongs? Kaylee’s her own person and can make these decisions for herself.” “Not like you’ve even been with her, so you get no claims!” Bester stood up as did Simon, and Mal had to intervene by coughing. “Both of you sit down. The doc is right, Kaylee belongs to no one, and if you keep treating her like a piece of meat, you may not be makin’ it to Osiris, is that clear?” Bester sat down begrudgingly as Simon sat down and glared at his food. None in the room knew that Kaylee had heard the entire conversation, and while it felt nice, even shiny, having Simon defend her honor like that, it also meant that he knew about her past. Biting her lower lip, the mechanic headed to her room. In the shadows, River stood and shook her head. Love caused life to be far too complicated for her liking. Just as Mal had feared, the trip to Osiris was unbearably awkward. After the initial dinner, it seemed that Bester took pride in the fact that he’d been with Kaylee and never missed an opportunity to rub that fact in Simon’s face. Not only that, but he kept hitting on Kaylee at the table and whenever Simon was around, making the girl uncomfortable. Mal just wanted to know when the idiotic mechanic became so competitive. Not only that, but the Engine Room was still a wreck, and it was taking a lot of energy to keep Kaylee from going in there and fixing it. But finally, the ship was ported in Osiris, and Mal could finally get rid of Bester. Finding Kaylee in the hull playing jacks with River, Mal decided that Kaylee needed out of the ship so he cleared his throat. “Mei-mei, how about you and me go deliver these crates of medicine to the hospital, hmm?” Looking up, Kaylee smiled and nodded. “Alright, Cap’n, that sounds shiny!” At least she was slowly beginning to act like her normal self in most aspects; this was something that Mal was thankful for. As Kaylee got up, River spoke. “Beauty yearns for him, warmth deserves him.” Kaylee and Mal shared a confused look before getting everything ready to take to the hospital. As they walked through the streets, Kaylee couldn’t help but feel as though she were out of place amongst all the fancily dressed patrons of this world. The world where Simon came from, the world in which she would never fit in. Noticing the sudden sullenness in his mechanic, Mal smirked as he began to talk, hoping to cheer her up. “Don’t see how they can stand dressin’ this way, can you, mei-mei? I mean, it looks mighty uncomfortable.” Kaylee simply nodded. This was why Mal hated shipboard romances, they always made people upset, but he couldn’t play God. He couldn’t control who fell for whom and how it worked out. “Well, we’re here. Let’s go in.” Once inside, even Mal was astounded by the proficiency in the hospital. The security was much stricter here than in Ariel, and he couldn’t stop the weird looks that Kaylee was getting. After ten minutes, they were greeted by a surgeon, a young woman who appeared to be Simon’s age, who was taller than Kaylee with shoulder length brown hair and a dignified air about her. “I am Olivia Lennon, I hear you two are the crew from Londinum. This way please.” Falling in step behind her, Mal looked at Kaylee who looked to be deep in thought. Passing through the halls, Mal felt a sense of familiarity after the heist in Ariel, but he never knew that doctors would have offices. “I’d like to thank you for bring the supplies here. It’s been difficult finding a crew willing to make the journey, what with the threat of smugglers and such.” “Not a problem at all. Just happy we could help.” “Let me just get your check then.” As Olivia got up and headed to a drawer, Kaylee took a moment to take in her surroundings, which included a picture of Simon on the desk. “If you don’t mind my askin’, why would you have the picture of a fugitive on yer desk?” Oliver smiled sadly as she turned around and looked at the picture, brown eyes seeming to fill with remorse. “He was my fiancé, but his sister came first and he left. Now, he’s a wanted man.” Kaylee nodded weakly. “How tragic.” Kaylee fought to keep any bitterness out of her voice that she may have been feeling at the time. “If he were to come back, would you take him or turn him in?” “Love makes you do crazy things, so I would hide him.” Realizing her mistake, Olivia flushed and looked at the two. “If word got to…” “No problem, we won’t be tellin’ the Alliance what you just said. Thank you and have a nice day.” After all but dragging Kaylee out of the hospital, Mal led her to a parts shop so that they could get the piece she’d been wanting back on Londinum and anything else she would need to repair the damage that Bester had done. “Kaylee….” “Yes, Cap’n?” Finding himself unable to form a thought on what he wanted to say, Mal shook his head and let her choose out the needed parts before heading back to the ship. Once there, Kaylee’s reaction shocked basically everyone, as she went up to Bester and started flirting and laughing with him. Simon just stood on the bridge and sighed. It would appear he had lost her. Inara, who had been walking with Simon also sighed, but for a different reason. She could tell that Kaylee was acting, but she didn’t know what could cause her friend to be so upset as she most obviously was to the trained eye. “Let us go check on River, hmm?” “What? Oh…yes. Let’s do that.” Once Simon and Inara had gone and Mal had gone to get the money for Bester, Kaylee dropped the act and walked towards the Engine Room and got into her hammock. She could never compete with Olivia. Olivia had style and grace and knowledge, and all Kaylee had was a torn soul and grease. It was no wonder that Simon never did more than he did. Why he must be forcing himself to even talk to her. Just doing his job, most likely. Because she was so deep in thought, she didn’t notice that Bester had walked into the Engine Room until he spoke. “Why do you do that?” Looking at him curiously, Kaylee felt a familiar twinge of fear grip her heart. One she’d been getting whenever alone with someone in the Engine Room. “Do what?” “Act like you wants me than just run off.” “I’m sorry, Bester. I just…” “Want some fancy doctor?” “I…” Bester shook his head as he walked towards Kaylee, who was trying to find a way out of the Engine Room. Perhaps she was overreacting, but the fear that was welling up inside her was too hard to fight. “I thought we had somethin’, Kaylee. I thought you actually liked me, but then it seems like you’ll spread your legs for someone who can get you more. I may not have money, but I know how you like it, and am willing to give it to you.” By the time he was next to her hammock, Kaylee was trying not to hyperventilate, her eyes wide. A yell was given as she fell backwards and hit her head on the table, causing Bester to jump back startled. “Kaylee!?” He hadn’t meant to hurt her! He just wanted answers! Scooping the limp girl up in his arms, Bester rushed her to the infirmary and put her down, rambling what had happened, not noticing that Simon was glaring at him. “She fell, I don’t know what happened. I was talkin’ to her and then she just fell!” “Can you please leave and let me look after her?” Realizing that he was indeed in the way, Bester nodded and rushed out of the Infirmary into Mal, who didn’t look to happy to see him. “Here’s your wages for the week, minus the cost of what it cost to repair the damage you did. Find yourself a permanent job and don’t look for one here.” Bester was ready to wet his pants by this point, and simply nodded before running out of Serenity. Noticing Kaylee in the Infirmary, Mal walked in. “What happened?” “She fell and hit her head. Nothing too damaging. She’ll be fine in the morning.” “I’m holding you to that, doc.” Simon nodded as he went about his work and Mal left, not wanting to get in the way, using the excuse that he needed to tell Wash the new coordinates. While Simon looked over Kaylee, he noticed her wake up and went to check her pupils to see if she had gotten a concussion in her fall. “I…” “Shh. I’m just going to look over you and make sure you are alright.” Kaylee nodded, and lay still as Simon poked and prodded her to see how she was doing, but it was difficult to hide the fact that every time he touched her, she flinched. She didn’t want to. This was Simon, he made her feel happy, but the touching, no matter how gentle, seemed to leave a foul taste in her mouth. If Kaylee had been hoping to keep this fact from Simon, she had failed. “Well, the bruises and cuts should heal up in a few days, and you don’t seem to have a concussion.” “Thanks, Simon… I should be goin’ though, fix the engine room and such.” Before she could get up and to the door though, Simon grabbed her arm gently. “Actually, Kaylee…I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind talking with me for a few moments.” “About…?” Simon sighed. River’s words kept playing through his mind. She needed a friend, not a doctor. He had done all he could as a doctor, but as a friend, not so much. But with Bester gone, and her there, Simon figured he could try his cards, so to speak. “You know what. I’m worried about you. Ever since that night, you haven’t been the same. You don’t smile anymore, not meaning it, that is.” Kaylee bit her lower lip as she looked at the doctor. He seemed so upset, but she couldn’t understand why. “I’m fine. Really.” Simon’s voice took a more serious tone as he spoke again. “Kaylee, I don’t like the fact that you’re lying to me. You’re not fine, and I just want you to be able to talk to me…please.” As he said this, his thumb was rubbing the back of Kaylee’s hand, trying to relax her. He could tell he was getting to her, because even if her smiles didn’t reach her eyes, he could still read them. Because of this, he squeezed her hand reassuringly, as if to coax her to speak, which she ended up doing. “I was just so scared, Simon. I couldn’t fight him off and I couldn’t scream…every night, I try to sleep, yet when I close my eyes, I see him glarin’ down at me. It wasn’t even me he wanted, he wanted River. I was just there, and he blamed me for Cap’n gettin’ out. He had told me before t…that if I interfered he’d do that, and he made good on that threat.” Despite her fight against them, tears had begun to fall down Kaylee’s cheeks, and Simon wiped them away with his thumbs, urging her to go on. “I know Mal will get mad if I say this….but I know that I deserved it, I mean, I was just askin’ for it, what with the lettin’ everyone out, and tellin’ him things and bein’ alone…” Simon was shocked that Kaylee was even thinking such things, but he knew that he had to let her get it out, otherwise it would fester within her soul, eating hear alive. “I’m so cold, Simon. I shouldn’t be, but I am. And, it hurts to keep smilin’ and pretendin’ that I’m alright when I’m not. What did I do to deserve it though? That’s the only explination I ken come up with to ‘splain why it happened…” By now, Kaylee had given up on trying not to cry and just let out her tears. Simon gathered the trembling girl into his arms and rubbed her back in circles, trying to calm her. “Shh. You did nothing wrong, Kaylee. Nothing at all. You are sweet and bright and by far one of the best people I’ve ever known in my life and for that to happen to you is something that makes no sense. Please don’t think you deserved this, because you didn’t. You deserve so much better than what you’ve had dealt to you. And I know that, while you might feel weak right now, you’re one of the strongest girls I know.” Pulling her back and wiping the tears away, Simon kept Kaylee’s head cupped in his hand, one thumb under her eye. “Baobei, you’ll pull through, because you manage to find the brightness in everything.” The response Simon got was not one he was expecting, because suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and lips upon his. At first he returned the kiss until he realized what he was doing and pulled back, looking at the girl. “I…I’m sorry, Simon. I shouldn’t have. I mean, it was completely uncalled for. You must think I’m some kind of easy girl, first Bester, than Jubal now this…I’m not like Olivia, I could never compare. I’m sorry.” Kaylee tried to get up, but Simon held her wrist and pulled her back towards him, all the while shocked that she knew of Olivia. “I would never think that about you, Kaylee. What happened with Jubal doesn’t make you easy, and Bester, well, had it not been for him we never would have met and I wouldn’t have just been kissed by the prettiest girl I know.” Simon smiled slightly at the blush that seemed to cover Kaylee’s cheeks after that comment. “And the reason I pulled away isn’t because you don’t compare with Olivia, I left her when I needed to find River, and even so, our parents planned the entire thing as it is. So never say you can’t compare. I pulled away because I don’t want to take advantage of you in this state.” It was Kaylee’s turn to smile. “You wouldn’t be takin’ advantage of me with me bein’ the one initiating the kissin’, which I’ve wanted to do for a while now.” The blushing now belonged to Simon as he smoothed Kaylee’s hair with his hand. “If that’s the case, would you be terribly upset if I were to kiss you, since I’ve been wanting to do so as well?” Kaylee smiled a smile that reached and shook her head and the two met in a kiss. In the shadows, River watched and smiled. While it hurt to see her brother with someone else, she approved of Kaylee, and was happy the warmth was again returned and that healing had finally begun. ***