I know its not very dark yet, but it will get there. Cookies to anyone who guesses who the mysterious stranger is after the first coupld of lines!

I'm enjoying this story - I get to write crazy River!

Chapter 2: The Morning After

"Always knew you were the kinda girl to go bed hopping Kaylee." The man's voice has a smirk to it.

Kaylee and Mal stop loading up the mule outside the hotel with the spare parts that Kaylee dragged him across planet to acquire. It was drizzling and Mal has his coat collar turned up. Mal just wants to get back to his ship. He was hating Chac with its constant rain. A planet he doesn't want to come back to any time soon. They look at each other. Kaylee looks a little hurt. That was a voice they never thought they'd hear again.

"But I never took you for the type to jump into bed with his mechanic Reynolds."

"That's it," Mal mutters under his breath. He puts his hand on his pistol and turns round. "Its Captain Reynolds to you."

The man spreads his hands and shrugs good-naturedly.

"Whatever you say Cap'n."

Mal frowns. This was all he needed.

"So Kaylee you still flyin' on Serenity?" He asks the mechanic.

"Best ship in the 'verse," she says defensively.

"Always was." He smiles charmingly at Kaylee. "Prettiest, most talented mechanic that's why."

"Well," Mal tucks his thumbs into his belt. "It was mighty shiny talking to you Bester but we've gotta be on our way."

Bester walks up to them. "Oh no. You don't get me Reynolds. You owe me."

"I…I what?" Mal laughs at the absurdity of that suggestion.

"You heard me. You dumped me on that rock. Don't worry I can pay. I remember how it works."

Mal ponders for a moment. They could do with the cash. "Where?" His brain is working overtime trying to work out the implications.

"Persephone. Anywhere that's not the back of beyond."

They are headed for Persephone. And Mal knew that Kaylee's spare parts raid had eaten into the next week's food budget. "Alright. You got yourself passage. We're in the South Docks. We leave tomorrow night. We have business first. Can you get there by then?"

"Oh I can leave right now." He gestures to the rucksack at his feet. "If you've got room on the mule that is."

"There's plenty of room cap'n." Kaylee looks up at him all wide eyed.

Mal pulls her aside while Bester loads his bag. "You'd better behave little Kaylee. I told you daddy I'd take care of you, and there will be trouble if you shack up with him again, dong ma?"

"Yes cap'n."

"And I don't want your boyfriend's causing trouble with your lover's tiffs either."

"Yes cap'n," she smiles at him in such a way that he just has to sigh. Kaylee could wrap him round her little finger when she so chose. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Kaylee barrels into Inara's shuttle as soon as she gets back the next morning.

"Inara, I got something…to…tell…" she trails off catching sight of the man sprawled on his back on Inara's bed. Sometime after he fell asleep Inara had removed his shoes and covered him with a blanket. But he's half kicked it off and his shirt is ripped open so Kaylee can see his chest rising and falling with gentle rhythmic breaths. Kaylee wanted to see Simon like this but not in someone else's bed. His hair is rumpled by sleep and his arm is flung back above his head, bent at the elbow. His dark lashes are resting on his cheeks and he has a slight smile on his lips.

Inara appears from behind a curtain. Kaylee rounds on her. "How could you?" She doesn't really think Inara would do that, but she's just cross. She was already hurt by what Bester supposed and now this? Simon was too proper to even kiss her, yet sleeping in another woman's bed was alright?

"Kaylee I…"

The mechanic storms out of the shuttle, barging Mal out of the way as she goes.

"What's wrong with…huh…" Mal enters the shuttle looking over his shoulder, then looks round and sees Simon. He stares at the man for a couple of moments then says, "Servicing crew now?" He folds his arms and looks at her. "I thought we'd talked about this."

Inara stares evenly back at him. "Nothing happened Mal. We had an incident with River last night."

"An incident that requires our good doctor to be half naked in your bed?"

On the bed, Simon stirs and opens his eyes. He blinks when he sees Mal staring at him. Where is he? Oh yes…oh god.

"Mal!" He sits up. "Nothing happened, I swear."

"Calm down doctor," Mal says evenly. "You best apologise to Kaylee though." Mal won't mention that Kaylee was sleeping in bed with him just an hour before.

"What?"

Mal smirks. "Little Kaylee thinks you're playing with our Ambassador here."

Simon is on his feet in seconds and pulling his shirt round him. He runs out of the shuttle without his shoes.

"That was mean Mal."

Mal grins. "I know. But it was funny, and true. Anyways I got a new passenger and I figured you'd like to meet him."

"Bester." Wash repeats staring at the man standing in the cargo bay.

Bester nods to Wash. "How you been?"

Wash can only nod and smile. He looks to Zoë and mouths, Bester? Zoë shrugs.

"Bester." Mal repeats walking down the stairs with Inara behind him.

Jayne grunts. "Who's he again?"

"Bester. Used to be Serenity's mechanic…" Mal begins.

"Ah," Jayne gives Kaylee a wicked look. "The one our little Kaylee screwed out of his job."

Simon, standing alone on the catwalk, picks up on the innuendo instantly. He looks from the scruffy man in the centre of the cargo bay to Kaylee who is smiling at him far to brightly for Simon to be happy. He gets a sinking feeling inside.

River ghosts up beside him and Simon stiffens, waiting for another verbal or physical attack. His scratches still sting from last night.

"Simple Simon meet the pie man," she murmured looking over the railing. She puts an arm round his waist and rests her head on his shoulder. He tenses involuntarily.

"We're giving him a lift. Ain't it shiny?" Kaylee beams overenthusiastically.

Mal shrugs. "Since we owe him and all. Go grab one of the passenger quarters Bester. You know where they are."

Bester picks up his rucksack and leaves the cargo bay.

Zoë looks at Mal. "Are you sure this is wise sir?"

"Nope, but he's paying."

Simon looks annoyed and stomps from the cargo bay in search of his shoes. He's muttering something under his breath that only River can hear. And they're words that their mother would never have allowed in the house.

"Besides what harm can he do?" Mal grins at his second in command.

"Porcupine hunter," River whispers to herself on the catwalk.

Dinner that night was a strained affair. Kaylee is sitting next to Bester who looks at home already. She's laughing with him. Simon grits his teeth into a vague smile and sits down. He's apologised to Kaylee, sort of. He tried to explain but he didn't think she quite believed him. Or didn't want to forgive him this time. He wasn't sure what he was meant to be apologising for either which was not encouraging. He fills a bowl with rice and begins to eat it slowly. River is staring at him. He tries to ignore her.

Jayne waits for River to blurt out what happened last night. He's waiting for Simon to fling that bowl of rice over him. He is unusually quiet, maybe he already knows, and he's waiting until later before he kills me. I didn't do anything. Just looked after a girl. Not that anyone of them would believe that.

Inara leans over to speak softly to Kaylee and Kaylee just turns away pretending to be really interested in Bester's inaccurate story about a grav boot. Simon looks up and gives Inara a small smile. He understands. Kaylee is trying her very hardest to make him jealous, and make Inara feel guilty. She knows its working. She's not trying to be deliberately mean to them but finding Simon in Inara's bed hurt. A lot. And if she pretends to be mean to Inara, Simon will feel worse. All he deserves really.

Mal plays ignorant to all of it. Long as Bester don't cause any trouble he'll be happy.

River leans forwards towards Bester and fixes him with a hard look.

"You're a bad man."

"River!" Simon looks up from his food at his sister.

"He is. He's going to open all the doors. Set the traps, string up the nets. Walk on the dam and watch us all get swept away."

"Don't worry about her Bester. She's just a little crazy," Jayne says gesturing a circle at his temple with a chopstick, as he sees Bester's confused expression.

River stares at Jayne. "Don't care. Didn't help me." She looks to Simon. "You can't fix me. Can't fix yourself! Flooding. Everything's flooding." She stands and runs from the room.

Simon half stands, but Inara gets up first. "I'll go Simon. After last night maybe its for the best."

Simon nods and Inara leaves the room. The room goes quiet again as everyone continues to eat and talk softly between mouthfuls. Simon sneaks a look at Kaylee. She's so pretty and she's flirting with Bester. Simon may be dense when it comes to girls flirting with him but he can spot it a mile off otherwise. And right now its grating on his already shattered nerves.

Kaylee laughs a little too loudly at something Bester is saying and Simon stares hard at the rice in his bowl. He fumbles with his chopsticks and drops the rice onto the table.

"Ai ya!" he snaps, throwing the chopsticks into his bowl.

The entire table goes silent and stares at him. He mumbles something about checking on River and gets up, scraping his chair back. He dumps his bowl in the sink and leaves the room as fast as he can without running.

Translation Notes:

Ai ya- damn