Lily lay in bed snuggled up to Otis, he was fast asleep but she lay there tracing the outlines of his chest tattoo with her finger. It was unbelievably ugly she thought, a black and white shaded skull with bat wings, Lily always thought it ruined his gorgeous chest. She had always wanted a tattoo though, even if she did think Otis's choice was hidious, but had never had the guts to go.

Now Cutters tattoo was good, she always loved it even if she wasn't perticually fond of him, they were ok, they tollerated eachother. Lily was a huge John Wayne fan and thought his tattoo was fantastic. It was all she could think about for ages, imagining Otis's face when he saw her with a freshly inked tattoo. How sexy and gorgeous he'd think she looked. So after much consideration she decided to take the plunge and get one.

She decided to ask Cutters advise on which tattoo artist to go to, hoping that he would have an idea on who would be the best. Deciding against asking Otis after his terrible tattoo choice and wanting to keep her tattoo a suprise from him. She had visions showing him it as she stood before him in a sexy underwear set.

Spaulding frowned at her with concerned when Lily went to visit him. They wern't intially close but it seemed it was only his job to make sure she knew what she was doing and try to have a "serious" conversation with her, if he was even capable of doing that, seeing as he had been making his living as a clown for so long.

Lily sat down with Cutter in the back room of the shop. Which was also his home now since he split up with Eve.

"Now listen kid.." Cutter sighed rubbing his face, he wasn't the kind of man to be serious and responsible. "Tattoos are like wives, if you pick the wrong one it'll make you miserable and they're damn hard to get rid of" Cutter laughed "They're perminant and I want to make sure you want one and pick the right one" Lily nodded in agreement, suprised at hearing such sense coming from Spaulding "Don't get a tattoo just to impress happy boy over there" Lily really appreciated the sensible advise from him and took his recomendation on a tattoo artist. She wasn't just having this tattoo for Otis, she was doing it for herself. All the Firefly family had tattoos and Lily thought that would be a good way to show she was a part of them now. An initiation if you will.

The next morning Lily stood outside the tattoo shop feeling sick with nerves. She knew she was over-reacting that, it couldn't hurt as much as she thought it would but still it didn't settle the butterflies. Eventually she willed her feet to move and walked in before she could change her mind.

A friendly looking receptionist greated her with bright red dyed hair and covered in various tattoos and peircings.She particularly liked the silver snakebite peircing she had on her lip.

"Hi, I... urgh I want to book an appointment for Bob Reid, was hoping maybe he could design something for me?" Lily said smiling.

"Sure I'll just see when he's free" She said opening her massive diary that sat on the desk.

Suddenly the door behind her swung open. "Where's my fucking eleven o clock dammit!" A man cursed storming out of the room making Lily jump with alarm.

"I don't know she hasn't shown up" The receptionist shrugged.

The man scowled, wrinkles formed on his forehead, Lily and the man locked eyes and when he saw her his face softened. He was a tall, thin, lanky man in a black short sleaved shirt. He was clean shaven with brown hair with blonde highlights which was greased and combed back, he had high cheekbones but looked gaunt in the face, she could see just black tattoos down his pale, thin but muscular arms. He was attractive in a creepy short of way there was something sexy about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Sooo, you want a tattoo?" The man said grinning. When he did it was a smile that filled up his face and caused numerous dimples in his cheeks.

"Uh huh was hoping Bob could draw something up for me" Lily said.

"Well you came just in time, Bob Reid at your service" He said grinning doing a bow, causing Lily to laugh. Bob put his arm round her and excorted her into his studio.

Lily couldn't help but stare at him as he drew up her design, his eyes set on the paper so intense and full of burning consentration.

"You have such beautiful skin I can't wait to work with it" He said, eyes not leaving the papr but grinning knowing that he'd made her blush. He didn't even have to look at her to know he had.

"Thank you for designing this for me"

"The pleasure's mine, there we go...all finished" Bob said looking back up at her and turning the art pad round for her to see.

Lily gasped with amazment as she saw it, a beautifully detailed and colourful Dragonfly. It looked exactly like one.

"Oh wow I love it it's amazing thank you so much it's beautiful!" She said with amazement.

"Will look even more beautiful when it's on you" Bob complimented.

After booking in her appointment to get her tattoo done se headed home. She loved her Otis but she had to admit she was looking forward to seeing Bob again, he made her feel so good about herself. Something that Otis had failed to do recently since his increase in victims. They took up so much of his time she hardly felt like she interested him anymore. It broke her heart to think of what he could be doing with them women up there.

That night when her and Otis were lying curled up in bed she plucked up the guts to ask Otis to tell her the story of his own tattoo.