Well here's chapter 3. I'm glad you're all liking this. Please please keep reviewing, and please feel free to be specific about bits in the story you liked, loved or hated.
By the way italics are flashbacks (i forgot to say previously)
Chapter 3: Home Truths
"Ryan!"
The four men keep walking.
"Ryan Scott!" the woman yells again and Simon and Jayne look at each other and catch on.
Simon turns round as the woman catches up with them. He does a quick double take moments before she throws her arms around him and kisses him firmly on the lips.
Mal frowns. "What the hell is this?"
"Uh…" Simon stutters. "Captain, this is Ana Chow. We…err…dated on Tanulia."
"Oh." Mal suddenly realises quite how complicated this has just become.
Simon finishes stitching up the stomach of his patient on the operating table and turns to his new scrub nurse. He can tell she's smiling at him because of the twinkle in her hazel eyes above the mask."Well done Doctor Scott."
"Err thank you," Simon can't understand why his stomach feels like a flock of birds are inside it.
They leave the operating theatre together and go to the sinks to wash up. Shaking his wet hands dry, Simon pulls off his mask so it hangs around his neck. She does the same and Simon gets a chance to actually look at her. She is pretty and he feels his stomach flutter again. This is immediately followed by a wave of guilt. But she's gone, he tells himself stubbornly. She's dead. The woman I loved is dead. I've got the right to move on.
The nurse holds out a hand. "I'm Ana Chow. I've heard a lot about you Doctor Scott."
"Really?" Simon is a little taken aback.
"All good I assure you. Now can a nurse take a handsome doctor out for a drink?"
Simon smiles, half-shy and half-pleased. "Ok. And call me…Ryan…"
Simon tries to open the front door as quietly as he can. Its late, actually its very late. No one else should be up. But he finds Jayne and River sat in the front room waiting for him.
"Where have you been?" Jayne demands, standing.
"I…uhh…"
"He's been with a girl," River says, her voice sad. "He left us."
"Ruttin' fool," Jayne snaps before Simon can respond. "Though you'd been snatched or something."
Simon rolls his eyes. "I'm fine alright?" He turns round to leave. "I'm going to bed."
River leans so far off the armchair she is kneeling in that Jayne is sure she will overbalance and fall. "She's not her is she?" River is staring hard at Simon's back, eyes bright.
Simon pretends not to hear her.
Ana turns to Jayne, with her hand firmly round Simon's. "Hello Jayne."
"Hi Ana," he mutters.
"Where's Grace?" Ana continues cheerfully, flicking her very blonde hair back over her shoulder.
"Err…she's out with friends," Simon says carefully. "Ana this is Captain Reynolds and Wash." He gestures to them both in turn with his free hand.
"What happened to you Ryan?" Ana turns back to him with concern in her eyes. "One day you're at the hospital, the next you're on sudden leave and then you return for half a shift and vanish."
"I…err…" Simon shoots Wash a panicked look over Ana's shoulder. He can't very well tell her that Mal and Jayne abducted him. Wash shrugs. "I had…a better offer…"
"One hell of a better offer Ryan!" she jokes.
He nods weakly. "So what are you doing here?"
"Oh I'm here for a break…" she continues to talk.
Mal is looking more and more amused with every passing moment and Simon wants to thump him.
He finally interrupts Ana as she starts to talk about the two of them 'catching up' in private. "Ana I can't. It was nice seeing you and all…but…but…I can't, we can't…I've got…"
Jayne can't take it any longer. "He's got another girl."
"Really?" Ana looks at him all wide eyed.
Simon nods sheepishly. "Sorry."
Ana smiles which surprises him immensely. "Doesn't matter. I'm engaged...remember Doctor Zhaan?"
Simon does and nods.
"Just thought we could have a little fun lover. For old time's sake. See you around." She plants a kiss on Simon's lips, smacks him firmly on the backside and saunters away down the street.
Wash didn't think it was possible for Simon's jaw to drop any further or for him to go a deeper shade of red.
The fat older man wearing a smart dark suit looks up as the four men enter the backroom of the dingy bar.
"Well well well," the man says, moving away from the huddle of other men in the room. "Mr Sky High Tam. Haven't seen you in a long time boy."
"Sky High?" Wash mouths to Mal, who shrugs.
Simon shakes the man's hand warmly. "Got room for four more Big Winston?"
Big Winston laughs. "Only if you're prepared to bet big."
Simon digs in his pocket and produces a roll of notes. "Craps still your game?"
Big Winston nods and moves back to the game.
"Sky High Tam?" Mal looks at Simon incredulously.
Simon shrugs defensively. "Too much money and a misspent youth alright?"
Mal raises an eyebrow. "Really? You?"
"I was embarrassingly rich. Illegal gambling was our way of rebelling. Icarus is where you come to win big."
"But Sky High?" Wash says bemusedly.
"Once bet ten thousand credits on a single card deal. Highest card won. Nickname appears to have stuck."
"You really are a dark horse," Wash says with a grin.
Jayne is eying the craps game with interest. "What are we waiting for? Let's see if luck is a lady tonight."
"One, two, three," they chant together before throwing back the shots.
Inara coughs. "This isn't very lady like."
Zoë gestures to the barman to refill their glasses. "Doesn't need to be."
Kaylee readjusts herself on the high stool that they are all sat on, and nearly topples off. She grabs the bar to steady herself and mock-glares at River and Inara, who despite being well on their way to drunk are still sitting elegantly on the stools.
The barman refills their glasses, gives Zoë a wink and moves on. She slides them along the bar.
Kaylee picks hers up. "I propose a toast. To River and Jayne. If I said he was the best man in the 'verse I'd be lying…"
The others snigger.
"…But he will make you happy. And we're all together again. And we're alive…" Kaylee sniffles. She can't cry, its just embarrassing. But then she looks up at River who has tear tracks down her face and Inara whose eyes are wet. "And a toast to out captain for being too damn stubborn to let us fade away."
The others raise their glasses. "To River and Jayne. To Mal." And down the shots in one.
River smiles at them all. "Thank you."
Inara pauses, holding the glass against her lips for a moment and wonders what Mal is doing. Probably getting shot.
Kaylee continues energetically. "Well Jayne might not be the best looking guy in the 'verse but I'll bet he's good for a tumble in the hay."
River blinks at Kaylee astounded for a moment.
Inara lays a hand on River's arm. "River, a girl's wedding night is a big deal. It's when you will become a woman."
River stares at Inara for a moment while she speaks. "The physical union of male and female genitalia accompanied by rhythmic movements is a natural progression of the male-female relationship."
The others stare at her.
"We already did it."
Zoë just laughs. "So long as no one tells the doc we'll be alright. He punched Jayne for just liking you remember?"
River smiles. "Now sex is something I won't be telling Simon about. He'd get all red and stammery." She giggles. "I remember when our father told him about the birds and the bees. I wasn't meant to be listening. But he near enough died right there and then. Went bright red and couldn't speak."
Kaylee squeals with laughter. "He still does that!"
Inara rolls her eyes and says gently, "Don't embarrass him Kaylee."
She just grins, pokes out her tongue and smiles up at the man who has walked up behind them. "Hey Sam."
"I was wondering Miss Kaylee, if…if I may have the pleasure of a dance?"
Kaylee hops off her stool, rearranges her dress. "Sure."
Sam takes her hand as they go onto the dance floor. She throws the others a grin over her shoulder as she goes.
"Another thing we won't be telling my dear brother."
Zoë nods. "Another drink?"