Brace yourself!

[paperninja69]

    Mal flung the screwdriver across the engine room. Once upon a time, he wouldn't have found himself unsettled by the hysterical crying of a young girl no matter how pretty. Now, much to his displeasure, her broken-hearted noises ate away at the very core of his being.  
    Worse, she was locked tight on the bridge.  
    Not to make things better, she had disabled the locks.
    "Isn't there an upside to havin' a genius on this boat?" he muttered and tried to make sense of the metallic shapes in the toolbox. He kicked it, failing to discern what any of it could do to help him unlock that gooram door, grab Kaylee and make her STOP.
    Wash picked an incredibly wrong time to stick his head in the engine room. "I heard a crash, Captain. Everything okay?"
    The pilot ducked a wrench.

 

    "Kaylee?" Zoe called through the door separating them. "Honey, come out so we can talk…"
    "NO!" she wailed. "…no one understands…"
    "Understands what, baby?" pleaded Zoe. "We can't help if we don't know-"
    "NO ONE KNOWS!" Kaylee wailed, reminding Zoe of a wounded animal.
    Zoe picked herself off the floor with a sigh and headed for the galley.

 

    Inara paced, her usual Companion calm blown. Her sweetheart was currently a gibbering wreck on the bridge, Mal was throwing things and Zoe looked scared. Book and Simon were searching for River while Jayne tried to find a gun that would blow through the door. Wash was trying to fix whatever it is their mechanic did to the engine.
    That left her with Mal and Zoe in the galley, attempting to piece together events that led to the current meltdown. Inara fought her own inclination for privacy and the habit of keeping her clients' secrets with every word.
    "So Kaylee came to you for servicin'?" Mal asked, disbelief plain on his face.
    "No, it wasn't what you think…" Inara tried. She slowed her pacing, centered herself and started to talk. "She was covered in grease…"

 

    "Um, this feels wonderful!" Kaylee closed her eyes as Inara's soft hands soaped her back. "I really do appreciate this. I felt so… grimy." Her words became sighs as her body relaxed.
    Inara smiled and wiped away the soap with a damp sponge. "Anytime. I would consider it a pleasure. Turn, please."
    Kaylee turned onto her back, eyes still closed, and a smile plastered on her face. Inara leaned forword and kissed her cheek. "You really are a beautiful woman."
    To Inara's surprise, Kaylee reached up and kissed her back. "So are you."
    It seemed natural to lay next to her and even more right to draw Kaylee in close for another kiss. Inara buried her fingers in Kaylee's hair and mentally noted that Simon was a complete idiot.
    Kaylee pulled away, frowning. "Did you hear that?"
    Inara shook her head. "No…"
    "I think it's the engine." Kaylee dropped a kiss on Inara'a bare shoulder. "Thank you."
    "Feel free to come back," Inara grinned. "I think I missed a spot."
    Kaylee giggled and pulled on her clothes.

 

    Mal stared at Inara open mouthed. "You?! Kaylee?! You AND Kaylee?!"
    Inara glared at him. "Grow up, Malcolm."
    Zoe rolled her eyes and wished she could throw the two of them in a bunk to end this nonsense. "Neither here nor there, Captain." She tapped the table. "Kaylee was fine when she left?"
    Inara nodded. "Yes. Just please, don't tell anyone." She dropped her eyes. "I couldn't bear Jayne teasing her. She's too precious to me."
    Zoe smiled. "You have our word." She kicked Mal.
    He shook his head. "Huh? …yeah. Won't say anythin'. Promise."
    Zoe ignored him. "She left you and must have gone to the engine room to work on whatever problem she thought she heard."
    "Logical." Inara continued to glare at Mal.
    "I'll go check on my husband, see if he's destroyed the ship yet." Zoe kicked Mal again. "Why don't you go check on Kaylee?"
    "…yeah. On it." He left the galley.
    Inara wiped her eyes. "Zoe, I…"
    Zoe rubbed the Companion's shoulder. "She'll be fine."

 

    Simon trailed down the hall behind Book. "This is a ship. How could we lose her?"
    The Shepard shrugged. "We'll find her. Firefly class have a lot of places to hide, hence a favorite for smugglers."
    They froze. Simon's jaw dropped. "Is it really that simple?"
    "I feel like such a fool."
    They ran to the hold. Simon ripped open the hidden compartment he'd seen Mal use time and time again but had not given a second thought. He choked. River lay in a pool of vomit. She dry heaved weakly, her eyes closed. "River?" he whispered.
    "Shouldn't… have… had… seconds…" She lost consciousness.

    Zoe cautiously entered the engine room. Wash looked at the engine like it would bite him. "Honey, I'm a pilot. I don't know what half this stuff is for! I couldn't tell you if she damaged it or not!" He tossed the wrench over his shoulder and sat down.
    She sat next to him and patted his knee. "Can you open the door?"
    He grinned. "Nope, I'm useless."  
    "I can think of a use."
    He raised his eyebrows. "Can you demonstrate?"
    She pinched him. "Later. Our mechanic is having a nervous breakdown on the bridge and the resident assassin is missing."
    "Yeah, that. Back to work."

 

    Mal blessed whatever god Book believed in that Simon had the foresight to bathe his sister before putting her in the infirmary. The little angel was drugged and the doc was pumping her with fluids. "What happened to this one?"
    "I took a blood sample." Simon checked her pulse. "She ingested a chemical that made her vomit. She said she shouldn't have had seconds. Not sure what that means."
    "Dinner," Mal said and locked eyes with Book.
    "Chocolate cake," Book replied, "from that old lady in the market."
    "Kaylee and River both had two slices," Simon finished.
    "Would that chemical make someone hear things? Maybe see things?" Mal asked.
    Simon shrugged. "It might. I've no idea exactly what it is…"
    "Can you make an antidote?" Book asked.
    "I think so. Give me some time." Simon glanced at the medicine cabinet.
    The lights flickered.
    "How about before we die?" Mal rushed out.

 

    Inara touched the door. She tried to ignore the others, especially Wash tugging on wires beside her. "Kaylee, sweetie…"
    "No one knows," she sobbed, "no one would understand. The voices, they say no one would understand… That he would never understand…"
    "Honey, it's Inara. Please come out. You're sick and need help."
    The sobs became wails. "What would he think. What would he say. How could I tell him…"
    Wash nodded and Inara moved away from the door. It opened, everyone stepped toward the bridge. She held out a hand. "I'll bring her to the infirmary. Just go." She glared pointedly at Mal. "Everyone."
    They filed out.
    Inara waited a handful of moments before searching the bridge. "Kaylee?"
    "Here." Kaylee was under Wash's console, knees under her chin. She rocked back and forth. "Inara, what's happening? I keep hearing awful things…"
    Inara drew her out of hiding. She held Kaylee, smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. "You were drugged. It was the cake."
    Kaylee sniffled. "I'm sorry…"
    "We have a bath to finish later," Inara smiled. "After this, I think you need one."

 

    "Both of them will be fine. Lucky the chemical flushed out of their system easily." Simon helped himself to the pitcher on the table.
    Mal frowned into his cup. "Now who would want to poison us?"
    Zoe threw up her hands. "Who hates us this week?"
    "Point taken." Mal finished his drink. "Perhaps we should exercise a bit more caution when takin' pastries from wrinkled women."
    Wash grinned. "Such wisdom!"
    Book looked up from his cooking. "He'd make an awfully fine Shepherd."
    "Bite your tongue," Mal growled. "Anyone know if Kaylee repaired the engine?"
    "We're still flying," Wash replied. "Hey, what ever happened to Jayne?"
    Jayne busted into the galley, waving a gun fit to blow holes in elephants and carrying as many grenades as could fit in his pockets. "I think I can open that door!" He glanced at them. "What?"

 

    Kaylee lost herself in silk skin and warm kisses. Words were useless when hands could express her feelings much more eloquently. They drank deep of each other and melted into bliss.
    The 'Verse spun on without them.