Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly.
A/N: Set immediately after "Inara". I don't do justice Kaylee at all.
After finishing her talk with Inara and being invited to her shuttle to talk anytime, Karla shoves the now sparkling pistol into its holster and tosses all polishing cloths back down into her bunk.
She decides that stumbling through half the ship blind with pain wasn't a very satisfactory tour, and makes up her mind to walk around and explore.
Since the night before, Karla had pretty much stuck to the kitchen and her bunk. She felt it wasn't her place to walk around and talk like this was her home; her family. Karla's talk with Inara that afternoon had convinced her otherwise. She was staying on the ship, she needed to get used to its crew and her surroundings.
Climbing back up the ladder from her bunk, Karla decided that the first thing she needed to do was figure out which hall went where. She slipped down to the left of her bunk and climbed the small set of stairs to the cockpit.
Wash sat in the pilot's seat, facing out into the inky-blackness. When he heard her, though, he turned and pointed to the co-pilot's chair, which was currently unoccupied.
"So, wha' do ya think?" He asked cheekily, straightening the plastic Tyrannosaur that stood amongst various intimidating buttons.
"Nice." Karla replied stiffly, gesturing out the window, where a myriad of stars shone back. "This is the first place I've really been 'sides the kitchen and infirmary."
"Oh, yeah!" Says Wash, nodding groovily at her from his seat, "We'll have to get Kaylee to take ya on a tour."
Karla twitches internally. "The Captain will have my head, if I'm stealin' his crew from their duties."
"No, no, no problem at all. Serenity's movin' smooth and I was just about to fancy myself a nap with the missus an' Kaylee'd be more 'n happy to take ya around." Wash decides then and gets up. He moves over towards Karla and pulls down a previously unimportant comm. device speaking clearly into it. "Kaylee, Oh Kaylee! We got ourselves a newbie in need of the grand tour. Up for the challenge?"
—You bet, Wash. I'll be right up—
And but a moment later, the round face of Kaylee the mechanic pops into Karla's view. Karla jumps up immediately from her seat and Kaylee smiles truly. A smile that reaches her eyes and makes her cheeks glow pink.
"Uh… Hello." Karla attempts.
"Hi!" Squeaks Kaylee and before she knows it, Karla is saying good-bye to Wash and is headed on a guided tour of Serenity.
It wasn't so very serene.
"These are the guest bunks." Explained Kaylee, sliding open a rice paper door and showing a poorly decorated room. Karla peeks inside and then back to Kaylee, not exactly sure on what to say. Kaylee pulls her along the corridor.
"Where's the ladder go?" Karla asks, looking up the iron ladder in the middle of the hall.
"Up, silly." Kaylee laughs and they move on.
The tour was great, and after a while Karla loosened up and Kaylee didn't seem as annoyingly optimistic. She was really friendly and answered all of Karla's questions.
The last stop was the cargo bay. Kaylee and Karla entered to see Zoe standing by various crates watching the Captain storm up the stairs, with Inara moving similarly in the direction of the shuttles.
"Think you ought t' go take care of that, Kaylee?" Zoe asks as the Captain disappears from view.
"Yeah. You don't mind, do you, Karla?" Kaylee looks hopefully at Karla who waves her hands in a shooing motion. Kaylee scurries off to talk to her best friend. Karla is left with the stiff and silent Zoe.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Cyber cookies to whoever guesses who's next.