Title: You Take Care Of Me (3?)
Series: Creature of Extraordinary Grace
Author: Romanceguru
Disclaimer: Joss is boss, I am but a lowly subservient.
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Mal/River/ Jayne/River Kaylee/Simon
Summary: When it rains it pours…
Notes: Post BDM
Elsibet34 is my beta queen.
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Mal was leaning against the entrance to the mess, his arms folded sternly across his chest, when he addressed the pair who were staring one another down. "It seems I'm the one now interruptin' somethin'. Care to tell me what the hell is goin' on?"
With wide eyes, both Jayne and River turned in alarm toward the austerely placed captain. He stepped forward and slapped his hand against the larger man's back knocking him slightly askew. "Kidding."
River turned and quickly wiped the moisture from her cheeks with the sleeve of her blouse. Jayne just gave Mal a nervous twitch of a smile before pulling out the chair and taking his seat. He chanced another look at the girl to see if he could read anything from her expression but she was turned away.
"Ya'll act like someone died. It's not Simon is it? 'Cause I'd be a mite torn up if the Doc went an' left us."
River forced a faltering smile. "Simon. I should go check on him," she affirmed hurriedly. "Will you please finish up here?" She had already started readying a bowl for her brother, distracting her chaotic mind from the weight of the situation.
"Can do, but don't you go an' leave me with the big guy for too long. He ain't as pretty as you to look at."
Where Jayne would have normally blustered a cocky retort, he stayed abnormally silent. With tray in hand River swished her way over to Mal and tippy-toed a kiss to his check. "You're really a sweet man. Do you know that?"
Mal smiled handsomely down at River. "Hey now, that's not entirely true, darlin'. I've killed folk. Sweet men don't tend to shoot as craftily as myself."
"Well, you're sweet to me." River looked directly into Mal's bright blue eyes and meant it. She squeezed his arm and left to go attend to her brother, mostly because she needed to escape.
Jayne had quietly stalked her every movement and was hurt that she didn't even glance at him once before leaving.
"Well, why don't we test the grub my pretty lil' lady made us?" Mal said as he moved to the stove.
Jayne snorted at "my", got up and stalked from the room without a word.
"What?" Mal was amused. "Come on, it might be edible this time." He called after the retreating mercenary. He shrugged his shoulders and thought to himself while setting the table for the rest of the crew; girl has me doing kitchen duties now, must have it bad.
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River peered in to Simon's room, admiring the picturesque scene before her. Kaylee was seated high on the bed with Simon's head cradled in her lap. She was lightly smoothing his jetblack hair as she gazed lovingly down at him.
"Hello, Kaylee. Simon feeling any better?" River whispered and nodded towards her sleeping brother and set the tray on the table next to their bed.
"Well, his temp broke a while back. That's good right?"
"Yes." River confirmed as she wandered over to the crib, running her fingers over the peacefully sleeping baby. His cheeks were rosy and his bottom lip quivered as he whimpered, some distant memory of being safe and warm inside the womb taunting his sleep.
"So, dontcha hold out on me, now." Kaylee said giddily. "How's things 'tween you an' the cap'n? Still can't get over how cute the two of ya are together. He even smiles more now."
River blushed just thinking about Mal's boyish grin and how special it made her feel when it was directed at her. "I like him very much. Makes me feel like a princess."
"Good, that's the way it should be. 'Cause ya are." Kaylee observed River's quiet demeanor a moment before asking the most quintessential question. "Did ya tell him 'bout you an' Jayne yet?"
River shook her head and looked down.
"Sweety, ya got to tell him. Even if it were just a fling. He has a right to know."
River looked desperately at her friend wanting to divulge everything. "Kaylee, something happened. I don't know what…"
"Mei mei, is that you?" Simon stirred opened his heavy eyes and reached for his sister.
"It's me." River took his hand and sat next to his blanketed form. She fought back her anxiety and put on her "I'm ok face" as not to worry her brother. "When are you going to stop feigning ill just so Kaylee can pamper you?" River halfheartedly teased.
Simon closed his eyes, a faint smile capturing his lips. "Can't even stop picking on me when I'm unwell. I get it."
"It's the tough love approach to bedside manner. Been scientifically proven more beneficial. Brought you some food." Simon peeked one eye open wearily at the food steaming next to him. "I thought the point was to become well."
River pinched his hand.
"Ow, abuse!" Simon dramatized, before coughing weakly.
River smiled down at her brother before addressing Kaylee who was watching the two in amusement. "Kaylee, why don't you join the crew for dinner? I'll look after the children."
The mechanic laughed merrily. "Alrighty, but we's gonna finish that talk later, right?"
"Later." River affirmed.
Kaylee leaned into the crib, kissing her infant son, and then moved to give her hot browed husband the same treatment before leaving.
After she had gone, Simon looked curiously at his sister. "Talk about what, mei mei?"
River entertained to notion of confiding in her brother but quickly decided against it, given his tendency to react irrationally when it came to her.
She squeezed his hand and reached for the bowl of stew. "Nothing, Simon. Kaylee is just going to fill me in on the details of your sex life. Thought I'd give her some pointers."
Simon tossed a pillow at River and missed. "Brat."
"Throwing pliable objects at loved ones. I say recovery is foreseeable. Now open wide."
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He was standing in the middle of a dense green forest, like none he'd even seen on the words that existed. A heavy mist surrounded dark, massive tree trunks and there was an eerie silence as he slowly rotated around to assess his surroundings. How'd he get here and where was he? A faint whimpering could be heard in the distance. River.
He frantically found his was through the thick underbrush towards the sound. She was lost, probably scared , and he had to find her so maybe then they could find a way out together.
He found her in an emerald green meadow; the mist had parted a path. She was on her knees and slumped over, her forehead resting against the soft earth. The girl was wearing a long off-white satin gown, and her hair was splayed about wildly, concealing her face but he could hear her sobs escaping her hollow and echoing through the valley beyond.
He ran to her, kneeling next to her form, unsure of what to do. He pulled her against him and held her tight. Words tumbled from his lips before he remembered even forming them. "Don't be scared. We'll find a way, darlin'. We'll find a way."
Mal woke with a start, his eyes shot open, and blackness enveloped him. Panic seized his body as he heard the same whimpering from the tiny form next to him. He turned onto his side, making out River's face pushed tightly into the pillow, trying to mask the sounds escaping her body. He brought his hand to her heaving back, trying to soothe her with gentle motions.
"Hey now, I know I'm a scary man but I'm not worth crying over. Really."
Nothing.
He pulled her from her detached position into his strong arms, gently brushing back the damp hair which matted to her forehead and leaned down to kissed her tear streaked face, the taste of her salty and sweet on his lips. "Ya ready to talk about it yet? Can't help you 'less you trust me enough to let me in." He whispered soothingly against her damp cheek.
River sniffled desperately trying to calm herself. "I do. I trust you."
"Well then, wanna tell me why's my girl so upset?"
She shook her head franticly against his bare chest while clinging tight like a frightened child. "No. Not yet. Soon."
She urgently lifted her face up and pushed a fraught kiss into his lips, moving her small hands to hold his face steadily to hers. She pressed her lips fervently against his and tried to drown herself in the sweet, hot taste of his mouth before breaking away out of breath. She then looked decisively into his eyes and declared breathlessly "Make love to me."
Mal looked deep into her moist eyes and squeezed her close. "Are you sure that's want you want? You don't seem…"
River silenced his doubts with her lips and he moaned as she pressed against him aggressively. She wanted to crawl inside of him, wanted her skin to be his, and needed to feel everything and nothing, if only for a moment.
If she concentrated on how his strong hands were making her feel as they moved along her body, she could forget. If she could just focus on his soft lips sucking at the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck, it would drown out this day. If she could just center her thoughts only on the feel of him filling her body, moving inside of her with achingly slow deliberation, it could erase the pain in her heart and set her at ease.
He had done it before, saved her from sorrow and heartbreak without even knowing it. She didn't understand why she went to the captain that night, but she ran unheeded, some unseeable force drawing her to him for comfort.
She returned every night after, his body blanketing her shattered heart. He never pushed her away. In fact, he pulled her close in his sleep. The night she stayed away was simply a test. She was falling for the man with puppy dog eyes but couldn't handle it if another person pushed her from their bed, from their life.
She rolled them over so she could be on top. Gliding her body down his rock hard erection, she squeezed her eyes tight, the feeling overwhelming her body. His hands were gripping her hips, pulling her to him in desperation, as her head fell back, silky strands of hair tickling his thighs. She rode him until the waves of pleasure became so great that she had to let go. As she clasped upon him, he caught her in his strong arms. Trembling, he kissed her lips, her cheeks and eyes-lids with a tender passion. She clung to him as her body quivered from the lingering orgasm.
They held on to one another like this for a long while before she finally whispered her confession. "It was Jayne who brought me to you that night." She relaxed her body full on his as she spoke softly into his ear. "We, were…I don't know what to call it." She reached her hand up twisting his hair between her fingers. "We were intimate. Lovers." She waited for a reaction and when there was none she continued to speak, her voice wavering. " Please do not be angry. I should have told you before. This…this just all happened so fast. A blink and time elapses before the heart can discern itself."
River took a deep breath, mustering up the courage for what she was going to say next. "I was crying tonight because I've come to realize something." She reached up and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I love you." She clung to him tightly, bracing her self against the sound of her own words. "But there is an impediment. One I wish did not exist. I cannot stop it or make it fade. I love him too."
River held her breath waiting for the Mal to throw her off of him, to scream at her and tell her to leave but there was only silence. She pushed herself up and looked down at him. There was a slight smile on his lips and his face looked young and relaxed as he peacefully slept.
TBC…