Firefly

Chapter 8

It had been three long days to reach the processing plant on a fringe planet. Kate had chosen to stay on the ship while Rick watched them unload all the cargo then get paid for delivering it to them for processing.

It might seem strange way of payment. The miner would pay to have his cargo shipped out. The processor needed just that to keep them in business. So they paid an independent cargo hauler a certain amount based on just what it was and how much they had. They in turn processed the ore to a finer product. They then sold it to other planets. Based on what they sold it for told them how much to pay the miner for his product.

All of this payment was done usually by direct transfer of money to various accounts. Even the payment to Rick was done the same way.

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That three day trip had been full of sex for both of them. Actually Kate, thanks to the drug, had had more orgasms in the last three days than she had had all her life until then.

She watched Rick come back in and he was smiling. She'd noticed that he was smiling more often of late.

The drug didn't really bother her all that much. She was a slave so even if he had told her what the drug was going to do to her she still would have allowed him to pump her full of it.

What she had to admit was that she was happy. Okay, the drug made her crave sex a lot. A whole lot but as far as she was concerned Rick was good at meeting her sexual needs.

Right now she was wondering why he was smiling wide.

"Hop in the shower and put on one of your dresses. There's a local dance club and I bought us two tickets. I'll let you have the shower first."

"I've never been dancing." Kate didn't know how to dance.

"I haven't done any dancing since I was just a kid so we're both going to learn. So up, shower, and find the dress you like best and don't forget to wear those heels." Rick was going to love to see just how tall she was wearing those heels.

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Kate was wearing her pantsuit and heels and was presently biting her lower lip to keep from having an orgasm just as they reached where the dance was taking place.

She watched as he handed over his two tickets. They walked inside and saw dressed up people all over the place. "None of them are wearing what you're wearing." What Rick was wearing was different from all the men in here.

"It's not my fault they don't have any sense of style," Rick argued.

Rick took them toward an empty table. "Rick!?" Her tag and his drug were driving her mad. She had to have an orgasm and she had to have one right now.

Rick had gotten used to that look on her face. She was about to explode. "The ladies room is over there. I'll be right here when you get out." He watched her make her way to the restroom and go inside.

Kate managed to get her pants down and sit down and one touch later she bit her lip and moaned through her first of two orgasms. The second one came just as quickly. Kate cleaned herself up and put herself back together. She washed her hands and went back out to Rick who took off his jacket, left it on his chair, and took her out onto the dance floor.

It was a slow dance and it allowed Kate to just hold onto him and shuffle her feet around which was about all Rick knew how to do. "Better?" Rick asked her.

"Yes, for now. I'm going to need you when we get back to the ship though." Her fingers were never enough. She needed him to be totally satisfied.

"Your wish is my command." Rick held her tight.

"This is actually nice," Kate sighed. She got to be enveloped in his arms and her little movements weren't causing her tag to tap her clitoris. So it was just her and Rick.

"Everyone's staring," Kate commented quietly. She was sure it was because of the tattoos on her hands that showed that she was a slave. That a slave was in the arms of her master all dressed up and out on the dance floor.

"Ignore them. You're right where I want you to be so you're doing exactly as you're told." Rick looked at the one tattoo he could see and wondered what it would take to get rid of them.

Kate chose to hide her face in his shoulder, since thanks to her heels she was taller now, so that she didn't see all those eyes watching her.

They stayed out there for four songs until one got faster and it meant both of them would have to reveal they had no dancing skills at all. However, now that they were seated they could order drinks and food.

The table was tiny and their chairs were uncomfortable but that didn't stop Rick from reaching out to take both of Kate's hands in his and use his thumbs to rub the tattoos on the back of her hands. Given the location and that Kate was sure all eyes were on her since she didn't belong there she tried to take her hands back but Rick kept hold of them. She wanted him to stop but it wasn't her place to ask him to stop so she sat there and suffered.

"You really don't like it here." Rick could feel her trying to take her hands back yet again.

"I don't belong here." Kate looked around again and was convinced all eyes were on her.

Rick opened his mouth to say something to calm her fears but didn't really know what to say so he closed it. He was doing his best but he sucked at social gatherings and he knew it. He sucked even more at getting women to feel comfortable around him.

"Let's go." He didn't know what to do and Kate was clearly uncomfortable so he got up and he and Kate walked out.

Finally they were out of that room. "I'm sorry." Kate hung her head. She was a slave and yet Rick wasn't treating her like one and that only made her even more uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry." This time she meant she was sorry for saying that she was sorry and yet she had said it again. But instead of being angry at her and beating her he pulled her into him so he could hold her tight.

"If I knew of a way to get those tattoos off your hands I would," Rick told her.

Kate raised her head off his shoulder so she could look at him in shock. "What?"

"Yes, you're a slave and these hands tell everyone that you are." Rick took her hands in his again. "But you're not my slave. The Browns fought the war to prevent the Alliance from making slaves out of all of us. There isn't a Brown alive that fought in that war that doesn't hate slavery. So yes, if I could find a way I would remove them," Rick told her again and saw her look at him in shock.

Kate didn't understand him. She knew her place yet he was determined not to treat her like the slave she knew she was. She willed that he would kiss her at that moment. But he didn't; he just kept looking at her.

"Can we go home now?" Once they were home maybe they could have more sex. She knew by the time she walked back to the ship she was going to want him badly.

"Sure." Rick knew he'd tried and as he'd feared it had turned into a disaster. However, all the way back to the ship Kate had hold of him and was leaning into him.

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Rick was slower at getting his suit off than Kate was her pantsuit and when he came back out of the bathroom to put it all away he found her standing there naked, waiting for him. Then she held out her arms to him. It was all he needed and neither of them stopped until they were too tired to make love one more time.

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"Where are we going now?" Kate was dressed and just starting to sit in her chair next to Rick.

"Back to the mine. Frankie said he had more than one load we could have and since that means more money for us, that's where we are going." Rick got them far enough away and entered FTL.

"Good, I like Liz." Liz didn't talk to her like she was a slave, either. She was learning to like being treated like that.

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Their first day in FTL to get back to the mine was spent on the sofa listening to Rick's favorite songwriter. However, Kate had learned that she could start something and Rick didn't yell at her or beat her so she had her hand on him and was rubbing on the outside of his pants.

She was soon rewarded with sex on the sofa.

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"Are you adapting to your tag?" Rick was curious and he put a finger on it since they were both still naked. Then Rick noticed that she sucked in a breath when he touched her clit at the same time.

"Maybe a little." She had learned that after they had sex if she started walking too soon it actually hurt since her clitoris was too sensitive. But that didn't last long and soon the touch of her tag caused her to be wet and wanting sex yet again.

What she wanted to do was ask why he had her had her tagged there. Except she was a slave no matter how badly that she wished she wasn't so it wasn't her place to ask.

Though she did have a question. "Rick, can I stay naked all the time when we're alone on the ship?" Getting all those clothes off so that they could have sex was a pain and she seemingly needed sex all the time.

"If you wish." Rick wasn't quite sure how he was going to last seeing her naked all the time. She still needed to add a few pounds and some of those pounds needed to go to her breasts, but she was incredibly beautiful in his eyes.

His answer had Kate kissing him and feeling her move his hand to her core. She was ready for another round of sex even now.

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"Better go get dressed. We'll be landing shortly," Rick said since Kate was sitting in her chair on the bridge still naked. He heard her groan and it drew a smile from him. She got up and retreated to where her clothes were stored.

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Rick was dressed just like last time as was Kate. But when no one was there to greet them Rick pulled out his weapon and looked around. It looked the same as last time, though.

"Frankie!?" Rick yelled and was rewarded with seeing Liz step out from behind a crate way at the top. He began breathing again and put his weapon away.

"Why the greeting?" Rick queried once Liz was down on the ground level.

"Red's in the separation part of the plant," Liz explained. "I needed to make sure that it was still you. For all I know the pirates managed to find a way to board you and come here to take it all. Did you have any trouble last time? We know you made it when our bank account grew."

Rick shrugged modestly. "We had six fighters to deal with. I got a few of them and the others ran away."

"Well, Red's that way. I'll take Kate with me." Liz happily took Kate's arm and walked toward one of their two domes.

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"So how have you been while you've been gone?" Liz wanted to hear everything.

"Okay," Kate replied.

Liz guessed that it was going to be like this this time. "So what has happened that's new in your life?"

"Rick took me dancing when I don't know how to dance."

"That sounds nice. My husband hasn't taken me dancing in years. Granted we haven't left here in years so I guess he has an excuse. So did you like it?" Liz kept digging.

"I liked part of it. It was just that everyone knew I was a slave and kept looking at me." Kate hadn't liked that part.

"That's good!" Liz liked to hear that and saw the shock on Kate's face. "It tells me that Rick's reaching you. He doesn't treat you like a slave and you're starting to wish that you weren't. That you could do what other woman who aren't slaves can do, like me for example." Liz was happy for her.

"How is that good? I'm forever going to be a slave. I can't get rid of these." Kate held out her hands to show her the tattoos that were on them that told everyone she was a slave.

"In public for now, yes. But you need to learn that Rick doesn't see you that way so don't act like one when it's just you two. He doesn't see those tattoos. Anyone that was a Brown and fought in the war isn't going to see them, either."

Kate stayed silent while she thought about that.

"How's that drug treating you?" Liz kept questioning her.

Finally Kate smiled. "I want sex constantly. I can't stop. I want Rick constantly. My previous master raped me, but I want Rick and he doesn't rape me. He…He's different."

"Sounds to me like you're falling in love." Liz loved the thought of it. They both really needed the other.

"WHAT! No, I can't. I'm a slave." Kate knew she didn't have a future. She was a slave and was always going to be a slave.

Liz knelt in front of her and took her hands in hers. "Will you stop, please? You are not a slave. Not to me, not to my husband, and most importantly not to Rick. Your heart knows what it wants. Tell it that you're a slave all you want, but you're going to fall in love. You just have to let it and revel in the feeling that that gives you."

"Rick said if he could make my tattoos go away he would." Kate blushed.

"Sounds like Rick's falling in love with you as much as you are with him and that's good. Just go with it, honey. Love will change your life for the better. You'll see. …Now up, you can help me cook again." Liz pulled Kate up with her.

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"Rodgers, you took your time coming back." Frankie had been expecting him for days but had finally given up waiting and had gotten back to work.

"I tried a little down time. It didn't work out so well." Rick knew he would fail.

"Which was?" Frankie pressed him to find out what.

"I tried taking her dancing even though I can't dance. The first songs were nice and slow so it was easy. But Kate started to panic. She was positive that everyone was watching her because she was a slave. The longer we stayed the worse it got, so we left," Rick admitted.

"I have to say that when you do things you do them big. Next time try something more simple. Take her out for a drink and get her to play a game. Take her to a place where slaves are expected to be seen. If she sees one then she'll be more comfortable," Frankie said. "You really need to start small, Rick. Come on, time for a drink and something to eat. Then we can load you up and you can go try again. Baby steps, Rick, baby steps."

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Kate and Liz were watching Rick and Frankie load the ship with cargo all over again.

"Try not to be afraid, Kate, and at the same time try to be careful where you go. There are far too many Browns out there that hate anything to do with slaves. Being one, seeing one, helping one. If you don't have any try to talk Rick into taking you shopping. This time you're looking for gloves. All kinds of gloves. Anything that will cover the tattoos on your hands," Liz suggested.

Frankie looked at Rick. "So what are your plans for after this? This is the last I have."

"I was thinking of trying to find someone just like you. Stay out here in the Rim. I'm thinking finding another Brown is a lot safer than getting closer to the core. Even if getting closer to the core might pay better," Rick said.

"Might be safer but you're also right about the pay. Just keep this in mind: a lot of Browns don't like slaves. You may not think of her as being a slave, but they will. Be sure and keep your eyes open. A few are going to be jealous of this ship of yours and might not be bashful in trying to take it from you," Frankie advised him.

"Thanks for the help, Frankie, I appreciate it," Rick said with a nod.

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Kate was sitting on a crate and waved at Liz for all the advice she had offered and being nice to her like Rick was nice to her.

"Come back when you get a chance, Rick, and please for the love of God listen to me. You did not get them killed. Admiral Kona was the biggest piece of shit you were ever going to find. You can take it to the bank that he had a plan and it didn't have anything to do with peace. Unless you want to talk about pieces and his idea of peace," Frankie offered.

"I'll try but no promises." Rick shook his hand then hugged him and slapped his back like Frankie was doing to his.

Rick joined Kate and up they went into the ship.

Frankie joined his wife. "Think we'll see them again?" Liz questioned him since she had her own theory.

"Depends, I suppose, but no. Not after this and not because they're dead. The Belt is vast, a little too vast to see him again." Frankie wrapped an arm around her and watched them lift off and head for space.

"Pity, I was looking forward to buying a new dress." Liz smiled since she was joking.

"We'll know if he makes it or not. He does and we can go shopping for that dress if you still want it." Frankie kissed her cheek.

"My kingdom for something that will cover her tattoos so that Kate comes out of her shell. She's so convinced there's nothing in this life for her. That being a slave is all that she will ever be." Liz felt for her.

"Then maybe Rick's incredibly stupid idea about that drug will actually work," Frankie mused. "And no, I didn't ask him for any of it."

"Smart man, maybe I'll actually keep you." Liz grinned at him.