As everyone gathered about the dinner table for protein mush and wilted vegetables, Rose and River continuously sent tacit looks at one another. Of course, the looks were noticed by Zoe and the Tams. They weren't sure what the looks could mean, but they were certainly going to find out.

Rose was slightly anxious about how the crew would react, but River wasn't worried at all. She had a few concerns about one member of the crew in particular, a certain man with suspenders, yet she knew that it really wouldn't matter either way. Things always worked for the best, she knew.

So, just when everybody was almost finished, Rose cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "We'd like to say something. Rivy?"

"When utilizing an approximation of elapsed intervals, it is discernable that the commencement of adoration amid binary members of the present vessel transpired upon immediate perception, ultimately conducting a plethora of impediments until a subsequent synchronization was attained. This advanced the emergent affection in profundity and dedication, thus yielding the desirable conclusion of amorous attachment in a monogamous manner."

While everyone blinked, Rose gladly provided the translation. "We're together."

Kaylee applauded, Zoe smirked, Simon smiled yet rubbed his aching temples, Mal had protein slipping from his chopsticks, and Jayne's hand went into the air. "So, like, together as in together-together?"

"No, Jayne," Zoe smirked. "They mean together as in apart."

"Gorram," Jayne grumbled to himself and then looked to Rose. "Wait, that's why you been rejecting me so much. You've been with her. Here I thought it was me."

Rose tried her best to keep a straight face. "Right, Jayne. That's it."

"So, we've known," Kaylee commented and Rose turned red. "Don't worry on it. I'm jus glad that you told us before we walked in on you."

"Still gonna happen," Jayne laughed and leered at Rose. "I'm hopin' so."

Unhappily, Mal shook his head and left the table. He stalked to his bunk and Rose gestured towards him. "What's with Captain Suspenders?"

"He don't like you," Jayne had his leg kicked under the table by Zoe.

Rose shrugged it off. "I don't like him."

"It'll be fine. He'll get over it," Kaylee assured them. She started to randomly bounce with a sudden idea. "Oh, I know! Now that it's all out there, we should double date!"

"No. No, not a chance," Simon argued.

That made Rose frown. "There a problem?"

"Every time we've double dated, these woman forced me to dance. Once, I had to sing."

"You know you wanted to," Kaylee playfully nudged him.

His face was red against his white shirt. "No, I didn't…"

"He did," River confirmed. "Owned the stage."

"We are so double dating," Rose happily laughed. "I have to see that for myself."

The playful antics continued until plates were clean and the table was cleared. Then, Rose and River retired to Rose's room for some needed rest. But, they couldn't fall asleep just yet. Rose had to smile and mess with River's hair.

"That went well. Better than I thought."

"Never doubted it. Everybody likes you. Even the Captain. On some level."

"Doubt it," she chuckled and looked deeply into River's eyes. That four letter word was in her head. She still swallowed it before it came out. "You mean the world to me, you know that?"

"I know everything. You're the universes. The wibbly-wobbly timey-whimey universes."

They shared a brisk kiss and settled in for the night. River had trouble resting because she could feel it in Rose's mind and heart. Love. She wasn't sure if she should say it first or wait. Rose was in a similar predicament, as she felt it in her head too. Love. River was love.

But, they were both waiting to see who would say it first.

… … … … …

Simon wasn't sure what was worse. He didn't like it when Rose and River were sneaking around since it made him a bit uneasy, but he didn't like seeing his sister being so affectionate in public either. And, they were affectionate. Yet, Simon Tam figured that there was one thing worse than seeing his sister kiss Rose Tyler. It was going on a double date with his sister and Rose Tyler.

Naturally, all three women practically backed him into a corner until he folded. They promised that they wouldn't annoy him until he agreed to sing, but he wasn't so sure that they'd keep their promise. However, it was a risk that he had to take. Unwillingly.

It was a swanky restaurant with a dance floor, which made Simon want to run and not stop until he was in the safety of their bunk. Of course, Kaylee pulled him into a dance before he could order anything. Rose and River enjoyed Simon's awkwardness for a bit, and then they joined them on the dance floor. Kaylee was ready to sit down and relax, but River wanted to keep Simon busy. So, she took over the dance with her brother while Rose and Kaylee returned to their table.

"You two are so shiny," Kaylee shouted over the music.

Rose widely grinned. "You two are cute too."

"Took me forever to get him to make a move. Took me even longer to get a ring on my finger. You don't know how much hint dropping I had to do. It took long for him to say I love you too. I was getting worried."

"So," Rose clumsily started. Maybe she could find some inspiration. "How'd he tell you that he loved you?"

"We were collecting engine parts in a junkyard one day. I go to lift a big old part and he just said it. I dropped the part on my foot, but luckily he's a doctor and all. Just a sprain."

"So, he just said it, out of nowhere…in a junkyard?"

"Yep. He'd meant to say it for a long time, he says. But, he kept getting scared and missing all the right moments. So, he just had to get it out there however he could. Just slipped right out. I think that I'd said something funny and he laughed and then there it was."

"Did it matter? How he said it?"

"Oh no. Don't matter how it's said. I mean, those words are good enough on their own. Even if they made me hurt my foot so awful that I couldn't walk right for a month."

Rose chuckled, but the wheels in her mind began to turn. "That's something else."

"He's something else. Got a sister to match. You and River. That's something else. I see you two in it for forever and ever."

Rose stopped and heard the words of the Doctor. Can't stay together forever. With River, it would be different. She would make sure of it.

Simon and River finally returned from their dance, and the siblings pecked their respective ladies on the cheek. "What did we miss?"

"Just telling Rose that she's stuck with your sister forever."

River smiled at that. "Accurate statement."

"Yep," Rose grinned and noticed the look on Simon's face. "He got his dancing in, but what about the singing?"

"You promised that you wouldn't make me sing," Simon unhappily sighed.

"I promised," Kaylee corrected him. "They didn't. I know! Let's hear the song about Jayne!"

Simon groaned and Rose's jaw hung open. "Jayne, our Jayne, has a song written about him?"

"Jayne, the man they call Jaynnnneee," River began to sing.

"Don't," Simon grumbled. "My ears…"

"He robbed from the rich, and he gave to the poor," River continued as she swung her arm in front of her for emphasis.

Kaylee mimicked the motion. "Stood up to the man."

"And gave him what for!" River and Kaylee shouted in unison.

Simon pressed his palms to his ears to block out the singing, but Rose joined in with her arm swinging too. "What's the next bit?" she waited until River whispered it to her. "Our love for him now!"

"Ain't hard to explain," Kaylee continued.

"The hero of Canton," River had already prepped Rose for the next part.

"The man they call Jayne!" the three women loudly proclaimed.

Simon grimly realized that he was now surrounded by three energetic and stubborn women, and he would have to get used to it if he wanted to keep his sanity. He wanted to get used to it, as he didn't want Rose to go anywhere. Not when she made River so insanely happy. But, in the black, anything can happen.

… … … … … …

In the morning, Rose had a job waiting for her. She woke before River since she heard Zoe and Jayne heading to the cargo bay. She got herself together and placed a quick kiss to River's temple before rushing to the others. Mal might leave without her if she didn't hurry. And, she wouldn't put such a thing past him, especially after his bad attitude of late.

Due to the fact that they had a quite a journey ahead of them, they piled into the mule to begin their early start. Jayne was cranky already, so he decided to tease Rose along the way. "How's your honey pie?"

Zoe shook her head and motioned to the roll of Rose's eyes. "Don't mess with her, Jayne. If she ain't dangerous enough, she has an assassin for a girlfriend."

"Let's focus on the job," Mal interrupted. "Should be nice and easy, but things go pear-shaped quick like out here. Stay alert."

They arrived at the meeting point, finished the business meeting, and worked on loading the mule. Things appeared to be going smoothly until a large ship appeared overhead. Jayne shielded his eyes from the sun and checked out the numbers on the hull. "Mal, we have a problem."

"Don't say that. I hate it when you say that."

"Slavers."

Armed folks began to drop from the craft along with smaller shuttles. Guns blazed and the nearby town filled with screams. Mal tossed boxes of fruits onto the mule faster. "Get it all on here. We have to go now."

The slavers rounded people up left and right. Soon, they spotted the crew and bullets headed their way. Rose looked at the shells on the ground to find that they weren't bullets at all. They were tranquilizer darts. Mal cursed and started to take the cargo offthe mule. They were getting closer.

"New plan. Get it all off here. Off, off, off!"

Everyone hopped aboard and they started to speed towards the ship. Yet, one of the darts found Mal's neck and he tumbled from the mule. Rose saw it and shouted to Zoe, who was at the helm. "The Captain's down. We have to go back."

"We can't all get taken down. We'll come back for him."

"Are you mental? They'll nab him."

"He'd want us to go," Zoe argued. "Trust me, Rose. I know him."

"Well, you know me. I can't leave any of our crew behind."

She leapt from the mule before Jayne could grab her. It was rough fall, but she got up and ran back for the Captain. Her gun took down a few of the nearest men, and she promptly dropped to Mal's side. She flicked the dart from his skin and did everything she could to wake him. When nothing was working and they were getting closer, she had to resort to a quick pop on his cheek.

"Wake up, Mal."

He jolted with a glare. "The pretty face…easy on the pretty face…"

"Angry slavers are coming to take us. Might want to forget about vanity and run for our lives."

"For once," he groggily answered. "I actually agree with you."

… … … … … …

On the ship, River had been awake for a short time. She was in the middle of making the bed when her head tilted to the side. Slavers. Rose and Mal were in it. They were in it deep. So, she ran into the cargo bay as the mule rolled inside. She went directly to Zoe. "Rose?"

"We don't know. She refused to let the Captain be," Zoe answered. "Get us airborne. We need to hide from the slavers. Maybe around the other side of the planet. Just until this blows over."

River was ready to argue that she should go back for them both, but the slavers would come after the ship. They'd need her piloting abilities to get Serenity to safety, and she had confidence that, as much as she didn't like it, it was the best course of action.

She'd get back to Rose in time. She knew that she would, no matter what she had to do.