Life on this boat. A Firefly story. #fanfic

In the air

The next day they were in the air with the cargo hold full of crates going to Pandora. The need for informstion and the need for more valuable trade made Mal set the course for familliar ground.
Lou had gone about her day as normal, cooking sewing and resting. Her wound still hurt and Simon had insisted on checking the bandage after her little run-around. It seemed to be healing and she had recovered from the bloodloss without too much trouble.
She stood in the galley cutting vegetables when Inara came floating in. She picked up a small piece of carrot to nibble on before turning around to lean on the back of one of the chairs.
"So... what was that yesterday?" She asked teasingly.
"What?" Lou answered innocently.
"Your... I don't know what to call it - with Jayne," Inara said.
"Oh that," Lou smiled.
"Yes that," Inara asked.
"I was trying to cheer River up," Lou smiled.
"Really? Was that all there was to it?" Inara asked.
"Yeah. The poor girl was terrified of me after we had that fight with the pirates so I had to do something to cheer her up," Lou said with a shrug.
"Sure," Inara said with a smile.
Lou continued her cooking.
"So... nothing to do with Jayne, then?" Inara asked.
"None at all," Lou winked.
Inara studied Lou as she continued peeling and chopping while humming.
"Why don't I believe you? " Inara asked.
Lou looked up from her work and shrugged while smiling broadly.
"I was sure he was going to throw you over his shoulder and take you into his cabin," Kaylee said from the door.
Lou smiled back.
"You like him don't ya'," Kaylee exclaimed.
Lou tried desperately to hide her blush by focusing on the vegetables.
"Oh my.... you do!" Inara teased.
"Awww... that's... sweet.... or is it weird?" Kaylee said a bit confused.
Inara giggled and grabbed another piece of carrot.
"You can tell us you know," she said.
Lou looked at the two women studying her with expectant smiles.
Lou sighed.
"Ok... He's not bad," she said trying to not appear desperate.
"Not bad?" Inara said. "The way your hands ran up his sides... and the look he gave you? It was electric!"
Lou felt her blush deepen remembering how her spine had tingled.
"That is the kind of stuff they can't teach at the academies!" Inara continued.
Lou looked at them and wiped her hands.
"Ok... I like him. But there is no point of doing anything about it, now is there," she said.
"But... why not?" Kaylee asked.
"Because I am on Serenity at Mal's good graces. Getting involved with someone on the crew could screw with the peace onboard and cost me my ride, leaving me stranded and without any way of finding my daughters," Lou explained.
"But. Wash and Zoe get by without interfering with the peace?" Kaylee said.
"Yeah... You might have noticed that they are a mite less volatile?" Lou said.
"That's a good point," Inara agreed.
"But you want him?" Kaylee asked, not willing to let the subject go.
"Not for a relationship, no," Lou smiled.
"But you do want him," Inara smiled with an eyebrow raised.
"Hell yeah," Lou said biting her bottom lip.
She put the food on the table to keep herself occupied and managed to compose herself before the rest of the crew walked in.
As they all sat down, Mal cleared his throat.
"Right then. We are in motion again after a week of healing and generally getting stuff together. Our negotiations with the pirates went.... well... as well as can be expected from that lot of brainless thugs.
On board we have a set of cargo. Essentially worthless, but hopefully someone will take it off our hands at a better price than what we paid." He said and looked around the table eyes landing on Lou.
"We're going to Persephone. Lou, I want you to set up a meeting with Badger to try to sell him that stash we have onboard. He knows you and hopefully trusts you more than me," Mal said.
Lou nodded.
"I saw your ability to stand up for yourself, but I will send someone in with you," Mal continued throwing a look at Jayne to show who he had in mind for Lou's escort.
"Do I have to?" Jayne muttered.
"Is the big burly man scared of being alone with an itty bitty girlie?" Wash tesed.
"I ain't scared," Jayne said giving Wash a threatening look.
"In less than a week she's got your hand shot and given your shoulder a nasty bruise. That's more injuries than you've had for years!" Wash laughed.
Lou flinched. She hadn't considered if falling down on the cargo floor had hurt him when she tickled him.
"And that's not counting the hurt pride and whatever else...." Wash continued.
Jayne shot Wash a look trying to shut him up.
"You done with your bickering?" Mal said. "Worse than kids at school!"
The crew all sat up straighter suppressing laughs and sideway glances.
"Now then. Getting to Persephone will take us a month. We have limited rations and limited amount of livingspace so I expect you all to behave yourselves," Mal said looking directly at Lou.
"What?" She asked. "What did I do?"
The rest of the crew exept for Jayne burst out in giggles.
"Just do your cooking and try not to injure the rest of the crew too much," Mal teased.
"Oh... that," Lou said slightly embarrassed.
"Sorry Jayne," she said throwing an apologetic smile in his direction.
He growled something back which Lou interpreted as a positive response.
She caught his eye and gave him a cheeky wink.
"Oh screw this ruttin crap! I'm done!" Jayne snapped and left the table.
Mal shook his head.
A few hours later, Lou was preparing the evening meal humming as usual. The rest of the crew were busy doing their own thing.
"What on earth have you done to my mercenary?" She heard Mal ask from the stairs to the bridge.
"I don't know," she said shaking her head.
Mal grinned.
"Seems you two have a bit of unfinished business," he teased.
"Don't worry, captain. I won't let anything happen," Lou said.
"Why not?" Mal asked.
"Can you imagine that beast in a genuine relationship?" She said.
"Good point," Mal agreed. "But it seems you might want to sort whatever out between you before I loose my weapons man."
Lou nodded and Mal turned and went back up to the bridge.
Halfway up the stairs he turned and grinned .
"You don't exactly have to marry the man you know," he smirked before disappearing through the door.
She went down to her cabin after getting everything ready for the next morning wondering why she always got herself into stupid situations with men.