(Reviews are always welcome!!! I actually love feedback, heh, and just the knowledge ya might've liked my story enough to comment abut it would mean a great deal to me, and maybe even motivate me to update a bit more quickly!)(also, this chapter is a bit more....'grapic' contact wise between river and to warn you)

Chapter 9

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The hours creep by slowly, the ship and crew eventually drifting off to sleep. Save two small girls stirring in one of the passenger rooms.

Kaylee yawns softly as she wakes freeing her arm from its place clasped about River, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Looking down when she feels River stirring a bit, she smiling and carefully getting up. Meaning to go on back to the engine room to check on things. Figuring from the silence on board, everyone was already asleep for the night. She careful to make sure she doesn’t wake River, not wanting to disturb the girl from rare peaceful sleep. Leaning down, kissing her forehead softly, the drugged girl stirring sluggishly, but eyes remaining shut. The mechanic quietly tip toes out of the room, sneaking back upstairs. Smiling as she hears the gentle droning of Serenity’s engines as she approaches ‘her’ room on board.

“Miss me girl? I got so much to tell you…”

Kaylee smiles as she rolls up her sleeves, rubbing Serenity’s hull gently with one hand. Moving, picking up a wrench, sliding down onto the floor. Crawling under the ships heart, itching to fix a loose coil she’d heard clanging around when she came in.

So engrossed in her work was she, that she never heard someone approaching, or when they kneeled by her legs. As she reaches for what took she needs next, its silently handed to her. Always the right one, as if they know what she’s doing and what shes going to need, none of this quite registering.

“You didn’t wake me.”

Kaylee yelps, jumping slightly and just narrowly missing banging her head on the engine parts above her, looking over to the voice quickly, pressing her hand to her chest as if