Jayne and River, satiated after hours of alternating between short naps and long love-making sessions slept in the early morning hours for an uninterrupted six hours. Upon waking, they lost another hour and a half as they again experienced each others bodies with a hot, steamy and wet encounter in the shower. Finally they were dressed in their swimsuits and matching shorts and t-shirts and ready for breakfast, which was really now lunch and both were famished.

They both decided to eat by the pool again as they enjoyed the food and the private setting and could swim when they were finished. As they were finishing their meal, a hotel employee walked up to Jayne and handed him a message. Jayne turned on the capture to find Mal's rather irritated face with Simon standing as close as he could get to remain in the frame as well. River joined him on the double lounger as they watched the message play out.

"Where the hell are you Jayne! We've waved three times! Why ain't ya answerin.' We're docking tomorrow and we've got business to attend to and I need you and River with me dong ma! so when you finally get this, wave me back got it?"

Jayne sighed as their real life was now crashing into their idyllic and relaxing escape. He tossed the capture onto the lounger with a scowl and got a surprise when River crawled up on him and straddled him as she kissed away his grumpiness. "No worries my Jayne, no worries," she calmly soothed as she stroked his cheek.

Jayne looked at her and wrapped his arms around her burying his face in her neck and sighed. "We just ain't had enough time together without them all getting up in our business. I ain't gonna give you up just 'cause yer brother an' Mal don't like it, you know that right?"

"Of course. Their opinions are not important and even though they will predictably fuss, no harm will come to you. Mal will bluster and bellow, Simon will threaten you with harm but will not carry anything out, Kaylee and Inara will be happy for us and Zoe will remain ambivalent for a few more weeks until she sees our love and commitment to each other. In a short while, acceptance will occur and all will be well." River was nuzzling Jayne's neck and nibbling at his ear as she spoke.

"Well, that makes me feel better, but I'm powerfully addicted to ya now Baby and I ain't gonna be able ta stay away from yer honeypot if ya get my drift. I'm just a big ol' bumble bee whose gonna be buzzin' all around ya. Ain't gonna sting, but I'm gonna be mighty intimidatin' to anyone that tries ta shoo me off." River giggled at the image of her big black and yellow bumble bee buzzing around Simon who was terrified of bees and listened intently to him as he expressed his frustrations to her.

"I just wanna know how we're gonna work it all out? I ain't never been one ta sneak around and you ain't worthy a that type a behavior, so I'm thinking we should just tell 'em right away."

"I tend to agree with you. Upfront and in their face. They'll have to deal with it. And, I will not ask but rather tell Simon and Mal that we will be sharing each others bunks so we will not be apart. Does that make you feel better now?"

"Yeah, I can deal with that. There's gonna be drama, but tough-shit you know? they's just gonna have ta deal with it. I'll go wave them now. You wanna come or wait here?"

"I'll wait here and soak up some sun." She kissed him deeply and felt him relax beneath her. "I think we should enjoy the rest of our time here. Let's go for a swim when you return."

"Sound's good. I'll be right back." He kissed her and hurried off to send the wave.

River could feel Jayne's anxiety as he left but she knew all would be well in a few days and their relationship would gain the crew's acceptance soon enough. She stripped off her clothes and grabbed the sunscreen bottle but put it back down on second thought. She didn't want to deprive Jayne of his duties she smiled to herself and laid back on the lounger.

--

As Jayne walked into the lobby, he saw Badger and his two wannabe body guards walking towards him. Before he could duck out of sight, Badger had spotted him. Shit, Badger was the last person he wanted to see now. He just wanted to wave Mal and get back to his girl.

"Cobb, what are you doin' 'ere?"

"I've been here for three days with my girl, what's it to ya?"

"Don't get tetchy, just askin' is all. How you affordin' a whore for three days?" Badger asked with a smirk.

"I ain't with no whore, little man!," he indignantly growled.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that. So ya must be with River then? I wondered how long it'd take the two of you to get together."

Jayne's eyes bugged out, but before he could speak, Badger cut him off. "Yer wonderin' 'ow I knew you was with her aren't ya? You's a slow one Cobb. I'm surprised it took you this long considerin' she looks at you all the time, all bright eyed and bushy tailed. I've noticed it 'bout a year or so an' yer just figurin' it out now. What's Mal think of it?"

"He don't know yet. We're gonna tell him today when he comes ta pick us up later."

Badger noted the big mercs uncharacteristic attire. He was wearing swimming trunks, a t-shirt, dark sun-glasses and flip flops and did not appear to be armed which was odd in itself. 'He must be out by the pool' the little man pondered as Cobb had mentioned that Mal would be coming for them later; which meant the big merc wasn't aware that Mal was going to arrive for their meeting in about fifteen minutes. 'Oh this was going to be quite a show to watch' Badger smirked to himself.

"Well if Mal kicks the two a you off his boat, you can both join up with me an' my lot. I can always use two more gun hands. You know where to find me," he added as he left the mercenary and immediately barked orders at his men. "Go find us a nice big table overlooking the pool. And make sure you find River Tam and get us seated near her. I want Mal to enjoy the show. Now get going!"

--

Jayne returned to River, huffing as he sat down next to her. "Ain't nobody answerin' the gorram cortex on the ship. Bunch a dumb-asses! they want us ta wave 'em but then don't wanna answer," he growled out as he stripped off his t-shirt. He looked down at her and felt himself stir. "Hand me that sunscreen Baby and let me get busy on ya."

--

"What hotel are we looking for again Simon?"

"The Imperial Garden Palace, I think it's the green one across the street," Simon pointed as they walked along the new street of hotels and restaurants.

Mal was irritated and in a hurry to get back into the black. He'd "invited" Badger out to lunch at Jayne's hotel in the hopes of speeding things along as he picked up his two missing crew members, fed his crew and hammered out a business deal with Badger all at the same time.

"Geeze, Jayne don't normally stay in fancy places like this," Kaylee exclaimed.

"An this ain't the type of establishment that looks like it's got whore's on the premises neither." Mal chuckled at the thought of Jayne having to spend almost three days babysitting River and probably not getting any trim or getting to leave and sow his oats none. He'd bet Jayne was crawling the walls and he'd have to separate he and River once they got back on the ship so they didn't kill each other.

Mal found a house phone in the lobby and waved Jayne and River's room. "They ain't answering their wave again. Simon, go ask at the desk if they've seen the two of them around." Mal paced as he waited for Simon to return. He didn't rightly like the idea of sitting in on a meeting with Badger without Jayne at his side. He'd just have to give a gun to Simon and tell him to put on the toughest face he could muster and try and look all intimidatin'. With Zoe and Simon, he just might be able to work a nice deal while conveyin' to Badger that he didn't want to be screwed over.

Simon came back. "The desk clerk said he hasn't seen them. Maybe they stepped out to get some lunch."

"Well, we can't be late, so here, take my other gun and shove it in yer pants. Now, look at me all tough like... and make yer eyes glint and look scary like Jayne does."

Simon shoved the gun into the back of his pants and gave Mal his best "Don't fuck with me look." This was the look he reserved for Jayne most of the time. He hoped it looked good enough for Mal.

Mal sighed "Well it looks more like you got a wicked case a gas, but it'll have to do for now. If you see one a Badger's hun dans try anything, shoot em and aim for the most medically damaging spot you can dong ma?"

"Okay, aim for the chest...have a glint in my eye and look scary, just like Jayne" he nervously repeated to himself.

They spotted Badger's table on the balcony over looking the pool. He was seated and was sipping a drink with a paper umbrella in it. Mal pulled up a chair while Zoe sat down next to him. Simon pulled out a chair for Kaylee but remained standing behind Mal. Badger looked up at Simon and then back to Mal. "Why ain't yer man sitting down?"

Simon barked out his best Jayne imitation to Badger, complete with a rim accent; "Cause I don't fuckin' feel like sittin' just yet. You got a problem with that little man?"

"No worries, if ya want ta stand, then stand," Badger replied in a somewhat irritated but cautious manner. Geeze, Mal's people were always so edgy. Even the ship's medic was an uptight hard-ass Badger mused.

Mal nearly spit out his drink when he heard Simon's reply but noted that it had apparently worked on Badger as the little man appeared to be uneasy. Mal decided to play along with Simon. "Go ahead and sit down Simon. It don't look like yer gonna need ta shoot no one so's ya might as well enjoy some lunch. Ain't that right Badger?" he said as he clapped the smarmy man on the shoulder.

"Yeah Mal, nobody needs ta get dead today, we's just gonna have us a friendly business meeting is all." Badger nervously replied.

Simon took his cue from Mal and sat down next to Kaylee, taking out his gun and slamming it down hard on the table and shoving the chair back behind him before slumping into it. 'There this is going well' he thought as he inwardly reminded himself to make his eyes glint.

"Simon, Bao Bei, do you have something in your eye? it's twitchin' something fierce" Kaylee sweetly inquired earning an uncharacteristic glare from Simon.

Badger decided to move on with the meeting now that Mal's watchdog had finally settled down. "I've ordered more drinks for everyone. This was a good idea for us to meet here. The place has got class it does."

"Yeah, Jayne and my pilot are staying here so I figured we'd meet you here and enjoy the nice locale since we'll be picking them up to. You haven't seen either of them have you?" he inquired.

"Nope, can't say that I have. Did you call them?"

"Yeah but they ain't around. Must be out getting some lunch."

Cobb was getting some alright, but it weren't lunch he'd been gettin' the past three days Badger inwardly grinned. "Well, hopefully we'll spot them."

One could only hope he thought.