I've been watching too much Sex and the City, and had to incorporate it into Firefly. The language and such reflects that. Naughty words and all that.

"Simon doesn't want me to use my vibrator anymore."

Jia nearly had her drink up her nose. River giggled. Zoe was not so non-judgmental.

"Kaylee, do you really think you should be talking about his in front of his sister?"

"She knows more than that before I tell her anyway."

They were sitting in a café in Persephone that Kaylee had dragged them to.

"I still don't think it's appropriate conversation."

"Lighten up Zoe. If I can't talk about this with you guys who can I talk about it with?"

Zoe had to give her that one.

"Did you give up yours for Wash?"

Jia was pounding on the table with her fist and shaking with laughter.

"I don't think..."

River jumped in, "Don't be such a prude Zoe."

Zoe was tired of being called a prude. "Yes I did."

She paused and everyone nodded.

Zoe sighed, "But sometimes I wish I had it back."

Kaylee was now interested, "Like how?"

"When I'm angry with him or something it would be nice to rub in his face the fact that I don't need him for that."

"So you're saying I should keep it?"

"Yeah."

Zoe was decidedly uncomfortable, but River wasn't done.

"Is Wash fulfilling?"

"I...yes he is and I don't want to talk about this."

Kaylee smiled, "I think it's great. Now we can talk about anything."

"I would rather not Kaylee."

Kaylee waved her off, "How do I get Simon to do more in bed?"

Jia was holding her face in her hands, "Place cards."

"I'm serious. He won't even try anything, and when I try and talk to him, he gets all red faced and mumbles something about not wanting to talk about it."

"And now we know that doesn't work with you."

Kaylee once again waved Zoe off. "I was thinking about just holding him down and making him talk, but that sounds bad."

Zoe knew she wasn't going to get out of this particular topic without helping. "Have you tried just doing things to him?"

"Yeah but I need his participation."

Jia now said, "Hold his pants hostage."

"I'm serious Jia."

"So am I this time. If you are in your quarters he can't put new ones on and he won't leave without his pants. You can make him talk about it."

"That might not be a bad idea."

Zoe was confused, "Holding his pants hostage sounds good but sitting on him doesn't."

"If I just hold his pants hostage, he could technically leave if he really wanted to."

Zoe scoffed, "Simon Tam will never walk around the ship without pants. I'm surprised he takes them off at all."

"That's what makes it perfect."

Zoe had now had enough, "Lets move on to better topics."

River started, "I'm thinking of having sex."

Zoe threw up her hands.

Kaylee smiled, "With who?"

"I have a man in mind but I know Simon won't approve. I was thinking I should wait a year or two. What do you think?"

"Who were you thinking about?"

"I shouldn't say. I'm not certain, but the door said I should."

Jia broke in, "Should you really be doing what inanimate objects tell you to?"

"It is not inanimate, it is a projection of an idea."

"Well, that's different."

Kaylee went back to the subject, "Would you even consider this man if'n the door hadn't told you?"

"Perhaps, the pairing is accurate."

"Then maybe you should."

Zoe was not so sure, "Kaylee maybe you shouldn't say that till we know who it is."

"She ain't a kid anymore Zoe. She's really smart. River'll pick a good one."

"Why won't Simon approve River?"

"Simon does not like him."

Kaylee nodded, "Simon can be pig headed. Took him a year to sleep with me and I was givin out all the signals."

"Once he thinks he is right there is no stopping his logic."

Kaylee shifted her focus, "What about you Jia? You thinking of sexin anyone?"

Jia was thrown by the change in topic, "Absolutely not."

Kaylee cheered, "That sounds like you just don't want us to know."

"Yes that's it. Change the topic."

Zoe wasn't letting this one go. "Who's the leading man Jia?"

"No one. Back off all ya'll."

"Alright, alright. Don't get upset." Zoe turned to Kaylee, "She'll tell us when she's ready."

Kaylee and River giggled and even Jia laughed after a second.

The rest of lunch was bland compared to it's start. The girls left the restaurant when Jia started complaining about the food. They arrived at the ship to find an angry Jayne.

"You're the cook. You're supposed to feed us."

"I left you guys something with instructions."

"Wash burned it."

She turned to the other girls, "They can't even heat something anymore."

They laughed and walked past an indignant Jayne. Jia stopped and offered over her shoulder, "You could have gone out."

Jayne mumbled, "It's raining."

Jia looked out the door, "And you'll melt or what?"

Jayne grumbled and walked away. Jia caught up to her friends. They came to another unhappy face when they reached the galley, Mal.

"Where were you?"

Zoe answered, "Kaylee took us to lunch sir."

"Maybe you should have done your jobs first."

They all protested. Mal held up his hand, "I was talking to the resident cook."

"I gave instructions it's not my fault they weren't followed."

Mal walked away in the middle of Jia's talking. He turned when he heard Kaylee say, "You should have held his pants hostage."

He turned to the four laughing women. Jia answered, "Unfortunately, he wouldn't be adverse to walking around without them."

They continued laughing and Mal walked out of the galley with his head shaking.

-------------------------------------------------------

Early the next morning Kaylee skipped into the kitchen to find Zoe, Wash and River chatting with Jia while she worked.

"You might wanna leave Wash."

"Anything you ladies can talk about won't bother me."

"Fine, last night with Simon..."

Wash got up and left.

Zoe laughed, "You just said the magic words Kaylee."

Kaylee giggled, "I didn't think he would want to know. Anyway, I tried Jia's idea and it worked."

Zoe was surprised, "He wasn't mad?"

"He was a little at first but he got over it." She spun around and sat happily in her chair. "Life is shiny."

Kaylee looked over and saw Jia using the knife Jayne had given her. "How is that knife different from any other?"

Jia looked extremely taken back, "This is near the top of the line stuff, Kaylee. It's completely different."

"It looks the same to me."

Jia was flabbergasted. Zoe smiled, "I think you just committed a huge sin Kaylee."

"Didn't know it was that big a deal."

Jia finally spoke again, "It is. It's like saying that a firefly is the same as a G-class freighter."

Now Kaylee was flabbergasted, "Those junk piles are nothing compared to Serenity."

"It's the same thing Kaylee."

"Sorry, I never would have said..."

"Don't worry about it just don't do it again."

"I won't. Serenity compared to a g-class. Ha."

Kaylee then went into why the G-class was so much worse than her Serenity. Everyone else drifted in as she was talking. Wash did finally come back when he saw others go in and not come running out. Kaylee talked through the entire meal about her opinion on other classes of ship versus Serenity.

After the meal Kaylee still sat in the galley talking on about her favorite subject to anyone who would listen. Simon decided to catch up with River to ask her something he had wanted to ask her since the first day they landed on Persephone three days ago.

"River."

"Yes Simon."

"What would you think if I..."

"I would love it Simon."

Simon smiled, "You would?"

"Of course. I've been waiting for you."

"Thank you meimei."

"I love you Simon. So does she."

River watched her brother walk away. She bathed in his happiness for a second before she felt something else. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. She turned towards the cargo bay, "It can't be."

River walked towards the bay and towards that feeling. The doors were open. Mal was talking to Jayne about something that River couldn't concentrate on long enough to listen. She saw the origin of the feeling outside among the crowd. She ran back to get Simon. She wanted to know she wasn't imagining things. She dragged her confused brother to the cargo bay. He saw what she saw. She wasn't imaging things.

Simon tugged on the bottom of his vest and walked forward. He walked past Mal and Jayne and took only one step off the ship. The feeling came closer.

Simon cleared his throat, "Hello Father."