As I'm quite sure you can tell I am heavily procrastinating this fic. This chapter is not my best work. Also, remember, this is AU to the BDM. Neither Mal/Inara nor Simon/Kaylee have developed into relationships.
Inara was in the cargo bay before the ship touched down. She was dressed like she had an appointment, all fancy.
Mal and Zoe were there, talking to Cynthia, the bird lady. Apparently Inara's rich friends were renting the birds for the party. Afterwards, Cynthia would need a lift somewhere to sell them before heading back home. She was trying to talk him into transporting her.
"Inara, will we have room to take Cynthia away again, what with the next cargo?" Mal asked.
Inara looked around speculatively. "You keep everything much cleaner than I was expecting." She hummed low in her throat while she thought. "You won't have nearly as much room as you did on the way here."
Cynthia shrugged. "You didn't see what I'm used to at home. We can stack the cages up to ten high without difficulty."
"We can take you as far as Hera if you don't mind crowding in." Inara confirmed.
"Thank you. I think I'll probably take you up on that." Cynthia smiled at them both.
Wash inserted the ship into atmosphere. The birds all squawked and rattled in their cages. The sound was deafening.
Inara winced and Cynthia started singing to the flustered birds.
Wash's landing was gentle, as usual.
Inara patted at her perfect hair and faced the airlock.
Mal hit the button and followed Inara out.
A party of people was approaching them from the mansion at the center of the floating estate. They were mostly men, but it looked like the lady of the house was with them. Mal glanced at Inara, wondering if that made a difference to her.
"Robin!" She exclaimed, recognizing their employer.
The impeccably dressed man at the front of the pack lifted his hand in greeting.
Inara stepped regally forward and caught him by the arms. "So good to see you." She slid towards him until their bodies were pressed fully together.
No one present could have any doubt they were intimately aquatinted. Mal swallowed the anger that was trying to creep up on him. She weren't his to get angry over.
Robin dipped his head and Inara reached up to meet his passionate kiss. When they separated, Inara lowered her eyes demurely.
Robin turned to the woman beside him. "Inara, you've met my wife, Laura, before."
"Yes, just the once." Inara smiled fondly at the woman. "But how could I forget?"
The two women embraced and indulged in an equally passionate kiss.
Mal'd been surprised by the first greeting, but he was stunned by the second.
When Inara turned back towards Serenity she kept her arm around Laura.
"Robin, Laura, I'd like you to meet Captain Reynolds. Serenity is his ship" She smiled. "Mal, these are my friends, Laura and Robin Grainer."
The man stepped forward to shake Mal's hand. "Thank you for helping us out at the last minute."
"Weren't even a problem." Mal said, hoping 'Nara would take charge of saying the right things like she'd promised to.
"We're just glad we were in the right place to help when you needed us." Inara said smoothly.
"And thank you for bringing us such an elegant addition to our party. Please say you can stay, Inara." Laura entreated prettily.
"Just until the party is over." Inara agreed. "The captain can work with your steward to get the birds transferred to your conservatory."
"Of course, Jenson, see that Captain Reynolds has everything he requires." Robin waved one of the other men forwards. Then he insinuated himself between Laura and Inara. He led them towards the house.
"Huh." Mal said, watching them walk away. He spared a glance at Zoë, who looked more amused than she should, before turning back to the steward.
The bird lady stepped forward. "I'm Cynthia Stot, the flock is in my care. I understand I'll be staying here with my birds until after the party?"
"Yes, we've made arrangements." Steward Jenson turned to the men behind him. "Please listen to Ms. Stot carefully. Follow her instructions. It wouldn't do to hurt the animals."
The workers followed Cynthia onto the boat.
Jenson turned back to Mal, pulling a thick envelope out of his pocket. "You'll find a little extra something for your trouble."
Mal couldn't resist opening it to thumb through the bills. There was definitely more than Inara had told him to expect. "Miss Inara may consider it a favor to old friends." Mal drawled, following Inara's instructions. "But there ain't no substitute for cashy money."
Jenson laughed and clapped Mal on the back. "No truer words, my friend."
"We will set the oculus ring tomorrow." Santha said, dishing Jamie's food onto the ground. She kept the stones around their hearth literally clean enough to eat off of.
"The what?" Jamie asked, using a mostly clean stick to mush his food so it would cool.
"The final stones in the roof." Santha clarified.
Jamie nodded. They could have finished today except Santha insisted they wait. Something about the mortar needing time to dry.
"Yeah." Jamie agreed. "That means the house will be done, don't it?"
"Correct. Shall we prepare a feast to celebrate?" She suggested, stretching out on the floor to eat her own meal. "I could catch fish."
"Sure. How big a feast?"
"I think the word implies a meal large enough that you can eat the leftovers for several days." Santha picked at her vegetables with a stick, before using her fingers to eat.
"Good idea." Jamie nodded and settled in to eat.
They were getting more comfortable in their silences.
"We need proper dishes." Jamie complained. "It ain't civilized to eat off the floor with our fingers."
Santha looked at him with her big, round eyes then nodded. "I want a proper cooking pot too."
During her sorting process, Santha had chosen a large flat rock with a shallow dip in the center as a griddle. She stood it above the fire on stone stilts. She was able to fry fish, pancakes and such. She also roasted food in the coals, although usually wrapped in leaves as suggested by her book.
"One with a lid." She got that determined look in her eye and James knew he had some hard work ahead of him. "I'll see what I can figure out."
Their rooms were long finished. They had moved in before they even started on the roof. The place was even starting to be homey.
"Then maybe I could rig up a table." Jamie continued. "Some chairs too. I'm too old to lay around on the floor to eat."
"My Jamie isn't old." Santha said quietly.
"My stiff knees disagree." Jamie retorted.
Santha didn't comment further. She stuffed her face with food instead.
When they were almost finished she jumped up.
"I can't stand to wait." She pulled out a stone with enough of an indentation to be used as a bowl.
She set it between them and pulled off the flat 'lid' - another stone.
Jamie stared at it, unable to identify the pale lumps swimming in amber liquid. Santha dipped her finger in and brought it to his lips.
"Honey?" He'd only ever had it from a jar.
Santha nodded. "I found the hive yesterday. I wanted to save it for the feast, but I couldn't wait."
She dipped the edge of one of her griddle cakes into the honey and ate it. She practically purred. "I love this stuff." She said around her full mouth.
They finished it between them.