River gradually left her seat so that her bare toes were against Rose's boots. Her eyes searched Rose's broken gaze and stiff shoulders. Her fingers rested on the nape of Rose's neck and slowly slid around her skin. She shivered when River's fingers reached her throat and peeled away from her one by one.

This was torture. Either they were going to be together or they weren't. That's all Rose needed to know. Yes or no. Not maybe. Not please ask again later. Not open a few fortune cookies, flip a coin, or send a letter to a relationship columnist. Yes or no?

Roughly, River yanked Rose closer by the shirt. Their mouths collided as if it were the final kiss in all of humanity. Rose could feel River's smile and knew that she was smiling too. She tucked River against her and delicately led a hand across her spine. River purposely mussed Rose's hair as a sort of symbol that Rose Tyler was officially here.

Lungs do require oxygen, so they reluctantly took a step back. Their grasp kept one another in place, and River left a tender kiss on Rose's forehead. It felt just perfect, as Rose's guarded emotions were gradually breaking free piece by piece.

"So," Rose cleared her throat. "You and me."

"Confirmed."

Rose laughed and enveloped her in a wholehearted embrace. "Are we all right?"

"You were extremely daft."

"I know. Gorram crazy."

"Hoped you'd be sane again. Glad you are."

"I wouldn't go that far."

They laughed and River gave a small smile. "It's okay."

"You sure?"

"I can feel you. Makes everything right. Better than right. Just had to get used to the idea of us."

"How long did it take you to get used to the idea of us?"

"Before we met. In my dreams."

"Now I really feel like I was behind."

"You were," River gave a teasing glance. "But, you're here now."

"Sorry for making you wait so long."

"Worth it."

They could finally hold onto one another without blurred lines or confusion, and it felt like this reality was falling into place. So, they stayed in their spot and held onto each other for a long while. Rose had a wide smile, as she genuinely felt like she was home. She thought for a lingering moment and then wickedly grinned into River's shoulder.

"I've got an idea," she murmured. "Can we take this shuttle for a bit of fun?"

"A joyride?" River curiously hummed.

"Yeah."

"Captain would be very angry."

"Let him get his suspenders in a bunch. It'll be short. Just you and me and the stars."

"We're going to be a dangerous combination, Rose Tyler."

"That's the way I like it. You fly. I'll distract you."

River smirked and got on the intercom. "River and Rose are departing on Bad Wolf's Albatross 1. Return in precisely ten minutes."

"What?" Mal shouted in return as they departed the ship. "Hey, you two! Get back here! Gorramit, what are you doing up there?"

Rose giggled and hugged River from behind. "Would you tell me the names of the stars?"

"That one is called Cardiff."

"Ha-ha. Stop messing with me, Rivy."

"You're in for a world of trouble. Get used to it."

Exactly ten minutes and naming many stars later, the shuttle docked and Mal was waiting on the other side of the door. He put a finger in Rose's face with a glare. "You are a bad influence on my pilot, blondie."

"Best influence to be, if you ask me."

"Don't go wasting fuel like that again, you understand me? You're taking over all cleaning duties for a month. I'm talking everything."

Rose smiled and patted him on the arm. "Yes, Captain."

"What?" he couldn't understand why she was so happy, and it was making him more than a mite jumpy.

River smiled behind Rose and patted him on the arm as well. "River will do all other chores, Captain."

"You're volunteering? You're actually volunteering?"

"Took a ten minute excursion. Very bad," River explained while Rose chuckled.

"C'mon, albatross. Teatime."

He was more than confused when they left in high spirits. Well, he needed to come up with better consequences. That's all he was concerned with as he retreated to his bunk. He thought about the situation and scowled, as their smiles didn't seem to make sense. Though he noticed Rose's crazy hair, he conjured that he wasn't privy to women's fashions. It couldn't mean anything more than that, in his mind.

After all, he did joke about the girls, but he never thought that it'd be the truth.

… … … …

One week was gone since their trip in the shuttle. Everyone noticed a change. The girls were happy. Sickeningly, annoyingly, happy. Kaylee was thrilled to have Rose and River so cheerful, as she finally had people as jolly as herself. Simon was equally pleased because his sister seemed to be on the upswing lately. He hadn't seen her this way since…

Oh. Dear. Buddha.

"Kaylee," Simon took her into the engine room to speak in private. "I think that I know why River and Rose are so happy."

"You do?"

"When was the last time that River smiled so much?"

Kaylee entirely understood. "You mean…?"

"What do you think?"

"Shiny! That's what I think. You had to ask? Well, what should we do?"

"Nothing. Just keep an eye on Jayne and the Captain. They have a way of saying the wrong things at the wrong time."

She squealed with excitement. "We'll keep 'em together, honey. Rose's in this for the long haul. No way she's leaving this boat."

"I hope you're right," Simon sighed. "After last time…"

"It'll be different, hubby. I know it," she pecked his cheek and thoughtfully looked at the engine. "They haven't said a thing yet. How long do you think they'll keep it quiet?"

"Knowing my sister's rather promiscuous nature, not long at all."

At that moment on the bridge, River had shut the door. Rose was in the pilot's chair and River was on her lap with her palms on Rose's face. Kissing and caressing were their new favorite activities, next to their conversations and dances and just being near each other, for they felt that they needed to make up for the months of tension.

Rose giggled while River playfully went after her ear with her teeth, but she stopped when she heard someone coming open to the door. River leapt upwards and leaned against the control panels just as Mal appeared.

"What in the special hell is going on here?"

"Flying practice," River explained with her serious face.

He folded his arms. "The door was closed."

"I had trouble focusing," Rose covered. "You know, all the stuff back there. I needed to be secluded on the bridge."

"I heard laughing," Mal continued.

River rolled her eyes. "When aren't we laughing, Captain?"

"Keep that door open," he used his captainy voice and noticed that Rose's ear was red and puffy. "Your ear? I don't want an ear infection spreading on this boat."

He was suspicious at the redness in their faces. Rose hoped that he didn't notice. "I had trouble with an earring."

"Huh, you don't really wear those…" he shook his head and started to leave. "Women and all their fancy clothes and whatsits."

They waited until he was gone to laugh. Rose took a deep breath. "That was close."

"Have to know eventually."

"Eventually," Rose wasn't ready to announce it yet. She was nervous about starting a relationship, which she was certain would become serious, and she could envision the crew meddling in their business. They needed time alone to truly gain their footing before anybody tried to shake anything up.

River nodded but gave a small sigh. "Won't take long for them to know. Never did."

"Never did?" Rose hadn't even thought of River's history. "So, you…"

"Had previous relationships? Of course."

"Right. And, they were…"

"With women."

"Ah. So you…"

"Swing that way, yes."

"How many did…"

"Difficult to achieve relationships given our nomadic and unlawful lifestyle, but several."

Rose did feel a little jealous. "What happened there? They weren't nomads?"

"Precisely. Only two notable interactions. First girl was a passenger. Stayed for two months. Liked her well enough. The other…" she averted her eyes. "The other rented shuttle 2. She was here for ten months, two weeks, four days, fifty-seven minutes, and twenty-nine seconds."

"Why'd she go?"

"Work took her to the Core. The inner planets. The civilized planets. Found a ship that could take her there. She asked me to go with her. I couldn't. Serenity is home."

"It is," Rose smiled and carefully approached the next question. "When was this?"

"One year, eleven months, three weeks, two days, seventeen minutes, forty seconds."

Rose could tell that River felt the same way about this woman as Rose felt about the Doctor, so she changed the subject. "So, the crew knows that you're…"

"Yes. Even Jayne. His intellect is virtually nonexistent and thus does not perceive blatant facts and figures, yet he knew first."

"Seriously? How'd he know?"

"She was loud."

"Oh…so…"

"Seeing is believing."

Rose nodded and felt a flush on her neck. "Well then. We'll be quiet."

"Doubtful."

"Is it?" Rose laughed at River's suggestive wink. "On that note, why don't we put it on autopilot and play that thing in the cargo bay? The one where you try to throw the ball through that big old ring hanging from the ceiling."

"Try to keep up."

The pair left for the cargo bay and Zoe happened to be walking by on the catwalk. She observed them playing about and definitely flirting. The first mate already knew that something was going on after listening to Rose, but it seemed like Rose had finally gotten her act together. Zoe went into the kitchen where Simon and Kaylee were having a quick meal, and she motioned to the cargo bay.

"Rose and River?"

"More than likely," Simon verified.

"They're being really discreet about it," she sarcastically sniggered.

Kaylee took a bite of her protein mush with a shrug. "At least we haven't walked in on them like we did with River's ex. They were in the pantry, weren't they?"

"Right near the protein packets," Zoe nodded. The entire crew was in the kitchen at the time, so most of them caught a glimpse. "The doc couldn't eat for a week."

"Don't remind me," Simon turned green. "If I see that again, I'll need to repress my all of memories."

"I'd start while you have a chance," Zoe deadpanned and clapped Simon's shoulder. "It's just a matter of time."