Lyssiah slept quietly in her bed on her transport ship, dreaming of far-off places she hadn't been to yet. The sheets wrapped tightly around her curvy body. Her long black and red streaked hair lay in a fan across her pillows. Suddenly the ship jarred hard to one side and flung poor Lyssiah out of bed and onto the floor.
"Gorramit!" Lyssiah swore. "Whole lot of shaking going on here, too much for comfort."
As soon as she finished talking to herself, the Com jumped into life and a familiar voice started talking to her. She quickly realized the voice and face was her dear friend Malcolm Reynolds.
"Sorry about that. Our ship has used up all of its gas and was just kind of floating around out here." Mal went on as Lyssiah came closer and closer to the Com. "Go ahead and dock with us so we can assess the damage, pay you proper for it, and hopefully get some fuel from you. If you'd be so kind. Wait, who is that?"
Lyssiah's purple eyes fixed on the screen as she tried to take her seat in the pilots' chair. She smiled and fixed the camera for the Com so her face shone clearly to the captain. "Well, well, well. If it isn't independent Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Hello Mal, it's good to see your ugly face again. How are you?"
"Well Hun dan!" Mal exclaimed. "If it isn't the pretty little Lyssiah Stormwhisper herself, my favorite nurse. You already know how I'm doing, what about you?"
Lyssiah laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. She usually did this when she laughed to hide. Finally she got into her seat and fixed her artificial gravity. "Well, I think my gravity is off, but other that I think I just have minor exterior damage. Feel like sitting around, having a brew or two and chat it up for a while?" She had a feeling one way or another she had to get on that ship and talk to Mal. She hadn't seen him since the last stand, the Battle of Serenity Valley.
"Yeah that would be great. You know Zoë is my first mate here?"
"No kidding! It's a gorram reunion!"
"Yeah, so hurry up and come aboard. You have any good alcohol? All we have here is bad sake."
"I got it Mal. Just let me dock and I'll be right over."
"Shi." And Mal signed off the Com.
Lyssiah quickly docked her ship to Mal's Firefly class. So excited to see her old war buddies, Lyssiah quickly brushed her teeth, pinned up her hair, put on her best leather pants, white button down shirt and brown coat, and hurried to board the Firefly class.
Seeing Mal at the end of the dock made her break into a sprint. Mal stood smiling with his arms open for a hug as the five foot four wonder-girl came striding onto Serenity. Lyssiah jumped into Mal's open arms and they both laughed heartily as they embraced.
"Mal it's so great to see you. And Zoë!" Lyssiah spotted Zoë and she quickly ran over to give her a hug too. "Boy did I ever have a job patching the two of you up!"
Little to Lyssiah's knowledge, the rest of the Serenity crew was hiding close by. They all wanted to know why Mal and Zoë were so excited to see this new person. Now it was apparent.
"Great." Wash said. "Another gorram war buddy."
"Hwoon dahn." Kaylee said as she looked up at Wash hanging over her. "She looks pretty and she seems sweet! Look at 'em, they're all just so happy to see each other. I wonder when's the last time they all spoke or seen each other?"
"And she's pretty hot too. Gorram, look at her body. Nice long legs for wrapping round you." Jayne stopped suddenly, realizing what he was saying and then muttered. "I'll be in my bunk."
But it was too late for that, Mal was signaling at the rest of the crew to come over and meet this new girl. He stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders, smiling brightly.
"Gorramit!" Jayne muttered. "I can't meet her now!"
"Everybody, this is Lyssiah Stormwhisper. Nurse for our battalion during the war." Mal pointed at and introduced everybody one by one. "That's Wash, our favorite pilot. This is Inara, our companion. That's Kaylee, brilliant Mechanic. Shepard Book. Simon and River Tam, our local doctor and crazy person. And last and least Jayne Cobb."
"And what does he do?" Lyssiah asked as if he wasn't there.
"Public Relations." Jayne spat back at her. "And I don't like it when you talk like I ain't standin' right here."
Lyssiah smirked, shook everybody's hand and said it was nice to meet them. "And you all can just call me Lyss. No need for full names seeing as how we're all friends now."
River was the first to speak to her. "How'd you get the blood to stay in your hair?"
"River!" Simon interrupted.
"It's ok. It's just special dye, see?" Lyssiah took a section of her fire engine red hair and held it out for River to touch.
River ran her fingers through Lyss's hair and then looked at her hand. "No blood. See she's ok Jayne." And with that River pranced off to wherever she was headed.
"Huh?" Jayne queried and then stepped forward holding out his hand to be shook. Speaking sarcastically he said "The pleasures all mine, I assure you Miss Lyss."
Lyssiah shook his hand again. "Pleasure huh? I might'n have to get really drunk to climb you cowboy."
Jayne almost blushed, looked at Mal and said "I'll be in my bunk," and then disappeared.
He felt increasingly awkward as he walked away. What was this woman doing to him? She certainly wasn't scared of his brutish ways. She was short but she looked liked she could pack a punch. She was clever and witty too.
"Well now he seems more of the Mercenary type than public relations." Lyssiah watched Jayne's cute muscular ass march off to his bunk to do god only knows what. "With that should we get drunk and chat like we planned? Get all friendly and what not."
Zoë grabbed Wash and said "Don't get too friendly with this one, he's mine!"
"REALLY? Zoë you got yourself hitched? Aw, boo." She spoke sarcastically. "Enough of this, let's get to drinking."
Wash leaned into Zoë's ear and said "I like her even if she is another gorram war buddy."
Zoë shot back "You better like her! She's the reason me and the Captain are still alive."
Mal, Zoë, Lyssiah, Inara, Wash, Shepard Book, Kaylee and Simon sat around the kitchen table and talked about anything and everything. Mal, Zoë and Lyssiah told some war stories with everyone asking questions here and there. Finally it was catching up time and the three war buddies were pretty excited to chat.
Mal began with "So what are you doing now-a-days?"
"Well, I'm a bounty hunter-slash-nurse. I usually work the nurse around the outer core, and a bounty hunter on the inner core. The pay is ok most of the time, but the other times I'm just holed up in my ship. Weeks, even months sometimes. I get pretty bored."
Everyone at the table got tense for a moment, but as Jayne barged into the room, he interrupted the silence with "Well are you out here to find Simon and River?"
"You always have a way with words." Wash commented.
"We have to ask don't we?!?"
"No, I'm not here for them, and even if I was, as soon as I found out Mal and Zoë were involved, I'd drop it. I don't need the money that bad, Cobb." Lyssiah leaned back and looked up innocently at Jayne. He was now behind her, picking up the bottle of alcohol to pour himself a drink.
Jayne leaned down right next to her ear and seemingly seductively whispered "Call me Jayne, or I'll kill you."
"You sure know how to treat a lady Jayne." Lyssiah snapped back into his ear. "Call me Lyss, or I'll have to kill you back."
Jayne stood up and looked at Lyssiah with shock and delight. The entire room stared at him trying to figure out the exact look on his face. Everyone else just became confused and frustrated.
Kaylee looked at Simon and winked as a signal, and then stood up. "I guess I better head off to bed. How bout you Simon? Shouldn't you be huntin' River down?"
Simon followed Kaylee out, agreeing with her about the hour and finding his sister. Wash soon escorted himself and Zoë out of the kitchen. Lyssiah had one more thing to say before they left and went to bed.
"I can't believe you're married Zoë, but he's cool. I approve." Lyssiah giggled drunk as all get out. "He's perfect for you."
"Good, now I'm gonna go tie him up and tear his clothes off!"
"Work, work, work." Wash whispered as the couple walked out of the kitchen.
"I did not need to hear that." Lyssiah cracked up.
Inara soon chimed in. "I have a client as soon as we get moving again and I should retire to get my beauty sleep. If there is such a thing."
Lyssiah stood up and took Inara's hand. "It was lovely meeting you Inara. Sleep well and you'll be moving soon. Promise."
"You too Lyssiah. Hope to see you soon." And with that Inara headed to her shuttle.
Shepard Book looked around the table and then at his watch. He kept sitting and watching Lyssiah and Mal go back and forth with inside jokes, talking about random things, when he noticed Jayne. He was jerking his head toward the exit door. Shepard figured Jayne wanted to talk with her too, Lyssiah being a beautiful woman and all.
She was definitely a good combination of what Jayne liked. Smart, agile, sarcastic, muscular with a good body, cute, somewhat innocent and near everything a man like Jayne could ask for. But Shepard put his money on Mal. Shaking his head, Shepard stood up and quietly left the room, Jayne tailing him.
"What was that for?" Jayne asked.
"What was what for?" Shepard asked calmly.
"You know what I'm talking about. Why'd you shake your head at me? You think I can't get her?"
"Well, if you want her you might have to get rid of Mal. And I don't think that's going to happen. They're old war buddies and that could mean a lot to them. They could stay up all night talking, or doing other things that there's a very special hell for."
"But Mal loves Inara. We all know that, except'n for them two. How's that make my chances any less? I mean, she's a tough as nails bounty hunter, I'm a mercenary. Come on! We'd make a great pair. And look at her body, you know she works out. Her hair is pretty and smells like coconuts too."
"How did you pull that off?"
"I smelt her as I was whisperin' to her. She smells pretty all over. And she can be cute like Kaylee, and bad like Zoë. I bet a pretty or two she could even kick my ass."
Shepard laughed heartily and put his hand on Jayne's shoulder. "Even if Mal has eyes for Inara, nothing is happening there yet. He might pick up Lyss just for a night or two, and then ditch her. Why don't you offer him a trade? A gun for her perhaps."
"You know I just might. Let's see how this evening goes."
"My money's on Mal." Shepard finished and started to walk away.
"How much?" And Jayne laughed.
Now it was only Mal, Jayne and Lyssiah sitting around the kitchen table drinking massive quantities of alcohol. Mal sat across from Lyssiah and Jayne, and they were sitting next to each other. They were all drunk as skunks and talking about nothing in general. Jayne had been waiting for the right moment to hit on Lyssiah. She either moved out the way or changed they way she sat. It was too hard to touch her at all she was so fidgety. The gorram woman wouldn't hold still!
Jayne was frustrated, drunk, and beginning to think Shepard was going to win the bet. He decided it was now or never to make his first move. Mal told a joke and Lyssiah tossed her head back and laughed, that's when Jayne put his hand on her leg.
Lyssiah instantly stopped laughing and looked at Jayne. "What was that?" She smirked and seductively tossed her head back again.
Jayne jerked his hand away. "Oh nothing. Just uh, a misplacement. That's all."
"Misplacement?" Lyssiah huffed sarcastically. "I'd bet money you were trying to feel me up Jayne Cobb."
Mal laughed even harder at Jayne failing to hit on Lyssiah, he cackled so hard he fell right out of his chair. Lyssiah giggled riotously as she hopped up to help Mal up and Jayne rushed to Mal's other side.
"Hey Mal, I need a favor." Jayne whispered as he tried to help Mal up, but Mal didn't really need any help.
Mal nodded and laughed trying to conceal Jayne whispering into his ear.
"Can you get to bed yourself or do you need help?" Jayne asked very loudly, annunciating every single syllable.
"You know what Jayne, I sure do."
Jayne smiled and began to walk Mal down to his bedroom, which was next to his own bedroom. It was all part of Jayne's silly but hopeful plan. Lyssiah also helped the two boys, but mostly she stumbled down the hall tripping on nothing. They found Mal's door and Jayne carefully opened it so it wouldn't make too much noise.
"Here you are Captain." Jayne let go of Mal and he stood straight up even after all the liquor he drank.
"Thank you Jayne." Mal took Lyssiah's hand into his and then kissed it softly. "It's lovely seeing you again. Hopefully you'll be round in the morning?"
Lyssiah giggled at the kiss and leaned in to kiss his cheek back. "Of course I will. I'm too damned drunk to drive anywhere! You should know me better than that. Sure you have room for me?"
"I'm sure you can find someplace to sleep it off." Mal said looking at Jayne fiercely. Mal began to go down into his bunk "I take my coffee black and my eggs over easy."
"Ha. Ha. Ha. You know I can't cook worth a damn, besides, I'm sure you don't have eggs on this niou fun!" Lyssiah replied sarcastically.
"Well, I better find a place to sleep it off like Mal said." Now it was Just Lyssiah and Jayne standing there at Mal's door. She giggled a bit, covering her mouth. "Is there a, um… Um… A living room type area? Maybe a lone couch or bed somewhere's?"
Jayne just stood there and stared into her violet eyes, lost somewhere out in the black. He thought she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen before. A warrior woman with a tight body and long hair he could pull on. His mind raced a mile a minute with thing's he could do to her. He was speechless.
"Hello?" Lyssiah waved her hand in front of Jayne's face, bringing him back to the moment. "Did you hear me out there?" She whispered seductively.
"C'mere, I wanna show you something. Do you feel safe enough to come down to my bunk?" Jayne held out his hand for her to take.
"If you hurt me, I'm sure I could kick your ass enough to get away." With that Lyssiah took his strong and shaking hand.
"Shiny. Come on."