Not many reviews- but I shall continue anyways

The morning was a festive time in the tree house. Veronica had shown Jia around the kitchen, and despite some strange animosity between them, it went rather well.

They all were sitting around the table when Roxton asked, "What is on everyone's agenda for today?"

Veronica spoke up, "I said I would help the professor with the windmill."

Malone brightened, "Me too."

Challenger looked up, "Actually, Dr. Tam said he would assist me, so if you two have other plans that would be fine."

Veronica smiled, "You two will get so involved in your scientific study that a t-rex could sneak up behind you. We will go anyway."

Roxton stated, "Marguerite and I are going hunting."

Marguerite was too well trained to show her surprise, but she stayed her reaction. She hadn't agreed to any hunting trip, but there would be time to chastise him for that on the way. Anyway, it beat standing around watching the professor and the doctor work.

Jia shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I will just stay here and clean. If you want to be back for lunch I can make something."

Roxton smiled, "Sounds wonderful."

Simon looked at his sister, "What do you want to do River?"

River smiled, "I will stay here. Spend time with Mom."

Mal half-smiled, "I will sit here and try not to get in Mom's way."

Jia narrowed her eyes at him, "You can go with Simon and make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

Mal stood up and bowed, "Yes Ma'am. Anything else you'll be wantin before I go do your bidding?"

Jia looked like she was thinking about it, "Not that I can think of. Ask me later."

Mal walked towards the elevator, "Meet ya downstairs, or whatever you call it."

Challenger, not noticing the undertones said, "I will get the equipment ready."

Everyone but Jia and River left the table to get ready for a day out. Jia got up and went to do dishes. River sighed. Maybe it wasn't going to be so easy here.

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Two hours later at the windmill, Mal's attitude still had not improved. He had moved away from Challenger and Simon to keep his comments to himself. Veronica and Ned had been sitting a little ways away talking. Mal had avoided them too. It had apparently been too long for Ned, as he approached Mal.

"We've been introduced, but we haven't really talked to each other."

Mal didn't reply, he just stared at Ned.

"I was wondering about your ship. You said it was a Firefly?"

"Yep."

"What does that signify?"

"That's what kind of ship it is."

Seeing Mal wasn't going to continue Ned asked, "Can you tell me about it?"

"Why?"

"I am writing a series of stories about our trip here. I wanted to put in some detail about you. I thought I should start with the ship all of you came from."

"I'm the Captain, Jia's the cook, Simon's the doctor. Any more than that you don't need to know."

Veronica, although thirty feet away could tell the conversation wasn't going to end well. That is why she chose to interrupt.

"We should get back if we are going to be there for lunch."

Mal left without a word. Ned stood there. "He isn't the most friendly guy in the universe is he?"

Veronica sighed and followed Mal. Ned and the other two soon followed.

When they arrived at the tree house and rode the elevator up, three of them were surprised at what greeted them. Jia had prepared several different dishes that had never been made in the tree house before.

Jia had long ago abandoned the leather chest plate Zoe had given her and had now ripped a small strip off the bottom of her shirt. She had pulled back her hair with it. She raised her head as they came up.

"Come on in and sit down, it's all ready."

Mal and Simon sat down with River, the other three stood in wonder.

Veronica asked, "How did you make these?"

"I used the native ingredients you said I could use. I did it really through trial and error. Made some things I haven't in a while. Thought since it was my first meal here I would try to impress you."

They finally sat down when the elevator started down to pick someone up. They all still sat in wonder. Roxton and Marguerite finally reached the top. They exited the elevator and Marguerite froze and sniffed the air.

"Is that Beef Bourguignonne? That's impossible!"

"As close to it as you can get with Raptor."

Marguerite quickly sat down and Roxton soon followed. They all started to eat.

When the meal was done, Veronica was astonished, "I have never tasted anything like these before. How did you make these?"

"Trial and error. Had to learn something I could do around here."

Marguerite laughed, "You have my vote."

Roxton raised his glass, "Here, here."

Challenger was picking at the leftovers. "Fascinating. How did you get the ingredients for this?"

"Found um'. Used stuff you had around as a substitute."

Malone was looking at Jia, "You don't sound as though this is either difficult or something new, and not one of your crew has said a word about it."

Simon shrugged, "We are used to it. A bit different, but wonderful none the less Jia."

Jia shrugged now too, "No big deal, it's what I do. Simon's a doctor, Mal's the captain, I'm the cook. It's what I've always done."

Marguerite was happy, "I don't particularly care how you did it. I am just glad for a little civilized fare around here for once. I haven't eaten this well since London." Noticing how her words could be taken and not wanting to ruin the moment, "Not to offend anyone, but jungle food isn't exactly gourmet."

Vernonia wasn't happy, "It didn't seem to bother you before. The only food anyone had trouble eating was yours."

Marguerite rolled her eyes, "I wasn't trying to offend you Veronica."

"That would be a first."

"I was just saying that it was good to eat something different."

"Different from the garbage you usually get right?"

Marguerite sighed.

Malone tried to intervene, "Veronica, I'm sure she didn't mean it like it sounded. She was just..."

"She doesn't need you to defend her. We all know she always says exactly how she feels. Got anything else to insult today Marguerite?"

Marguerite got up, "Not yet, but when I decide to I know exactly where I'm going to start."

With her last words she stormed to her room. Roxton sighed, rose, and followed. Veronica stormed to the elevator and made her way down, accompanied by Malone.

Mal was amused, "Ah, just like back home."

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After a good hour of ranting at there prospective men, both ladies were back in the main room. Marguerite was reading and Veronica was painting. Roxton sat cleaning the guns. Malone wrote in his journal. River was down in the lab with Challenger and Simon talking about Simon's modern medicine. Mal was sitting at the table and watching Roxton's actions getting more bored by the second. Jia was in the kitchen making supper. She was making something simple to avoid another argument. The silence had almost some to a breaking point when Simon could be heard coming up the stairs from the lab with Challenger right behind him.

"I'm sorry George, but there is really nothing I can do."

"But think of the medical possibilities. We could successfully rid the plateau and eventually the world of horrible diseases. Influenza, Smallpox, Tuberculosis... think of it man..."

"I understand but the ingredients for the medications are mostly synthetic. We don't have the capability. Even if we did I don't know how to make them. I now what they do. I'm a doctor not a chemist." (Couldn't help myself)

"There has got to be something. Some starting point."

"It would take years if not decades. If it were really that easy the would have been invented already. The only one that I can think of is Penicillin. It's from a plant, but it needs to be purified and I know there is something added to it. In it's pure form it is out of your system in four hours. That would not do anyone any good. It also does nothing against viruses of fungi. So even if we could find it, it wouldn't do us any good Challenger."

Challenger would not be swayed, "There must be something."

Mal interrupted, "Geniuses?"

They both turned to him.

"Please tell me you didn't leave River in a lab filled with dangerous things by herself."

They looked at each other and bolted for the stairs.

Mal chuckled.

Veronica sighed, "Sometimes I think the tree house could burn down around him and Challenger wouldn't notice."

Everyone nodded in agreement when the two raced up from downstairs.

Simon was distraught, "She's gone."

Mal looked up, "You better be kidding me."

Simon shook his head.

Veronica got up from her chair. "She couldn't have gone far, the elevator didn't move."

They all got up and searched the tree house. It didn't take long to discover that indeed, River was gone.