Title: Dirt-Kisser

Rating: PG. So there is kissin'.

Characters: The crew, the PCs. Kao Helena and Kao Wen

Pairings: M/I, Z/W, S/K by nature of the 'verse, but nothing overt.

Summary: 20ish years post-BDM. Serenity takes on passengers, Serra undergoes a rite of passage. (1/3) Fluffy, fluffy, fluffy.

Disclaimer: Most of the characters (sans the PCs and the Kaos) aren't mine, but the situation is.

For newbies: New Leaf, Brother, Shadow, Mei-Mei, Mischief, Forty, Pirate Children, Mistletoe, Hell-Raising, Delinquent, Dirt-Kisser, Barriers, Tough, Echo, Civilized, Breathing

Part 2

“Aunt River said we’ll hit sky in five. Everyone’s back on,” Serra says, plopping onto the couch in the shuttle beside her daddy. “Where’s Mama?”

She scoots over to put her head on his shoulder, hugging his arm like a teddy bear. He’s got a portable Cortex screen, scanning the daily news. Mal sets the pad down, smoothing her hair back from her face.

“Talkin’ with the passengers. How’re you doin’ today, Mei-Mei?”

“Fine,” Serra yawns against him.

“What’re you sleepy for? You ain’t done anything today.”

She smiles against his arm. “Bored, not sleepy.”

“Huh. That so? Well then, you best run off and beat up your brother or somethin’, make yourself un-bored.”

She laughs. “Naw. That’s pretty boring, too. He’s so predictable.”

“Could go talk with our passengers yourself. I’m sure you and Wen could find somethin’ in common to talk about it.”

“Maybe,” Serra says, letting go of his arm and resting her head in his lap, stretching her feet out over the couch. “He’s a dirt-kisser, though.”

She sticks her tongue out.

Mal laughs, shaking his head.

“What are you watching?” she asks, craning her neck over to the coffee table.

“News,” he answers, earning a nose wrinkled in disgust. “Hey, it’s important for Captains to know what’s goin’ on, where to avoid, where there’ll be good work.”

“Okay,” Serra yawns again, bringing a hand to cover her mouth.

“You look sleepy to me, daughter-mine.”

“Well, it’s a