Simon scratched at the collar of his shirt. It was an old homespun button down of Mal’s, and he was more uncomfortable in the time softened clothes than his own highly confining outfits. Zoe had taken pity on him and commandeered a shirt from Mal, telling him it would be more suited to the farm then his normal vest and shirt, and might help make Kaylee’s parents be more comfortable around him.

The shirt was a bit too large for him and he almost wished she’d taken something from Wash’s closet – would have asked her to, if he wasn’t scared she’d show up with one of Wash’s hideous Hawaiin shirts. If he wasn’t afraid that something might infect him, he might have chosen one of Jayne’s t-shirts. Kaylee’s mother seemed to like those well enough.

He’d changed just as Wash landed at the Frye’s and had entered the hold, only to find the others waiting for him and discussing Badger. It seemed Mal had waved him earlier and the seedy little crook had stated he had no idea where his contact was. He had suggested Mal find another buyer, and his nonchalance had Mal suspicious. "Greedy little hun dan – he’s up to something," Mal said to Zoe as he opened the cargo doors.

"Shouldn’t ought to be too hard to find a new buyer, but I don’t like the need for it," Mal continued, stepping off the ship. "Don’t have time to waste looking for a new buyer."

Inara frowned at that. "How long do you plan to stay grounded, Captain? Every day we’re in wait–"

"–Is another day you can’t peddle your wares. I know. Won’t be more'n another day or two. Can‘t locate us a buyer on this rock, then we‘ll move on ‘till we do. But it’s a last resort; maybe this Lawti fella will show up."

"Sir, have you considered the possibility that there never was a buyer?" Zoe asked.

"And what? Badger set us up movin’ cargo with no where to go?"

"Wouldn’t be first time a body’s had to wash their hands of cargo rather than bein’ caught with it."

"Since that’s indeed a possibility, we’ll be open to negotiating our cargo with some of the locals. Much rather unload the pups with someone here than cartin’ 'em halfway ‘round the ‘verse."

"You don’t think the buyer could have been picked up by the law, do you?" Simon interjected suddenly. "I mean, if he’s dealing in contraband canines…" he paused, suddenly paranoid. "What if the Alliance is here? My sister–"

"Your sister is fine, Doctor. Probably the most rested and well fed she’s been since comin’ outta that box. Alliance has no presence out here' if they did, I wouldn’t've taken my eyes off the girl, dong ma?"

Wash grinned. "Besides, if they were after River, they’d have to get through Finn first."

"Don’t remind me," Simon sighed.

"I think it’s sweet." Inara slipped her arm through his and gave it a friendly squeeze. "River’s a beautiful girl who should be flirting with plenty of boys. It’s normal for someone her age."

Before Simon could reply, Mal interrupted. "We’re gonna scout the town again today, see if the seeds we planted yesterday grew any roots. This ain’t resolved one way or another, we’ll break atmo and then you won’t have to worry about Kaylee’s little brother. Now shut up. Frye’s are gonna be wonderin’ what we’re doing, standin’ out here jabberin’ at each other."

Shelly was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when Simon found her. "Mrs. Frye?"

Brown eyes flickered to Simon, and he had to remind himself they weren’t Kaylee’s. "Yes?"

"The Captain asked me to let you know we were here, and I… I wanted to thank you for your hospitality. Putting my sister up for the night was above and beyond anything I would have expected."

She arched a graying eyebrow at him and folded her arms across her chest. "Just ‘cause we ain’t Core folk don’t mean we can’t be hospitable."

"That’s not what I–" Simon started to protest before his shoulders slumped. "Where is River now? I’d like to check on her."

"Finn took her out back to help him with the critters. He’ll keep an eye on her – two of ‘em most like. You expect to eat this morning, best head out back yourself. First meal is free, but the second you gotta work for."

"Out back?" He repeated dumbly.

"There’s chores to be done."

"Oh, right." He nodded while backing up. "Of course."

Heading outside, he found a sweaty Jayne with an axe in hand, chopping wood. Giving the other man a wide berth, he nodded to Wash and Zoe, who were on their hands and knees in the garden, doing he didn’t even know what.

Deciding that the most likely place to find River would be the barn, he headed in that direction. Inside, he found the majority of it had been converted into a shop. There was a huge shuttle taking up space inside. Somewhere among the parts he could hear Kaylee and Hank’s muted voices.

Towards the back of the barn were stalls. He heard the yipping of puppies and the muted sound of Book’s voice, so he headed in that direction. Book was sitting in the first stall beside a large dairy cow, milking it.

"You don’t need any help with that, do you?" Simon asked, a grimace twisting his lips.

Book turned his head to smile at him. "Milking is more of a one man job."

"Yes. I can understand and be thankful for that. Have you seen River around?"

"She and Finn were just feeding the puppies when I came in."

Simon sighed. "I guess I’ll go see if they need some help then."

Dust floated thick in the air at the back of the barn, swirling in the light streaming through the window. Finn hung back, his hands tucked into his pockets as he watched River move past the stalls. She didn’t just move, though, she danced, sending the dust motes swirling around her.

Sighting her, the puppies scrambled to the edge of their makeshift pen, tails wagging excitedly as they tumbled over one another for her attention. Instead of picking one and lifting it out, she climbed over the divider and sat down in the middle of the pen, allowing the animals to swarm around her.

Finn rested both hands on the railing. "They like you."

"They think I’m one of them." She ducked her head away from a slobbery dog-kiss.

"Well, I never seen a prettier beagle in my life," he grinned and set to getting some feed and fresh water for the animals.

"You’re trying to charm me," she told him matter-of-factly.

His eyes flew guiltily back to her, but she wasn’t even looking at him, her attention focused on scratching the ears of one of the pups. "Trying to?" He chuckled. "Does that mean it’s not working?"

Tilting her head to slant a look up at him, a lock of her hair fell back from her face. "Does it usually?"

"River Tam," he smiled slowly. "I do believe you’re flirting with me."

A flush climbed her cheeks, but she didn’t turn away from his gaze. "Is that what this is?"

"You don’t know what flirting is?" He ruefully shook his head as he fed the dogs. "You’ve been on that ship too long."

"Not so long."

"Long enough. If you’d been off it at all, every poor fool who walked by would be trying to flirt with you."

A bright smile lit her face. "You’re doing it again."

"Is it working yet?"

She released the puppy in her arms and he went scampering across the small enclosure to feast. "How is it intended to work?" Her brow furrowed as she gazed at him. "What is the objective?"

"The objective?" He scratched his head a little, looking away from her to the puppies and back again. "Ain’t had anyone ask me that before. Guess it’s to get you to like me."

"Flattery is a successful method for this?"

"Yeah, sure. I mean, it’s worked for me before. Not that I– There hasn’t been–" he stammered. "I don’t go makin’ it a practice to hit on just anybody. I‘ve gone with a few girls ‘fore, and they seemed to like it, is all."

"I understand," she nodded succinctly.

"Uh, you do…?"

"Your face is pleasingly proportionate."

Sitting down across from her, he caught a puppy under the stomach and set her in his lap. "That’s some fancy flirting, right there."

"But superfluous and redundant." She shrugged a shoulder, watching as he examined the puppy in his arms.

"Yeah, how so?"

"You already like me. Didn‘t have to try."

"And how do you know that?" he teased, checking the puppy’s ears. "You a mind reader too?"

"She’s intuitive." Simon leaned precariously against the small pen, running his eyes over River to assuage his worry. He smiled wanly at the way Finn jumped at his voice. "Always was. Not that it would take a mind reader to ascertain your interest in my sister."

Finn’s mouth worked up and down for a moment, without any sound.

"Ignore him. Simon thinks he is father, mother and brother in one. Too many faces hiding the real one." She gave her brother an exasperated look, and he found it was an expression he hadn’t missed after all. "This girl is fine, see to your other."

"Naw, really, it’s fine." Finn stood up, still cradling the puppy protectively in his arm. "I noticed this one was limpin’ a bit, and I found a shard of something in her paw. I’m gonna take care of it ‘fore it festers. Probably best you don’t see that."

"Little Gun?" River rose gracefully, coming to Finn’s side to rub the puppy’s ears.

"Won’t take but a few moments."

Simon frowned slightly. "I brought my med bag. I should be able to remove that without any trouble."

"Kind of ya, but I got a fair good stock of vet supplies. If one animal ain’t sick it’s another." Finn looked from River to Simon. "Wouldn’t mind ya havin’ a look though. Would be good to have a doctor’s input on our stock."

"I can look," Simon smiled as Finn and River exited the pen. "Do you take care of all the animals yourself?"

"Mostly. Had a regular vet in town for a while, but he passed on. Taught me what he could before he died, though. I help out the neighbours when I can."

"Well, you probably don’t need me then. Like you said, she probably just has something in her paw. I should go and see if I can – pick vegetables, or something." He grinned wanly at this, noting the way Finn cradled the puppy in one arm, the other hand resting lightly on River’s back. "You’re good with her."

"The animals talk and he listens," River responded with a proud smile.

"Ain’t nothin' so complicated as that," Finn replied.

Simon simply nodded and headed back out of the barn.

He hadn’t meant the puppy.

Shaking his head, he headed back outside, stopping only when Jayne called him over.

"Hey, Doc."

Hesitantly, he began moving toward Jayne, his eyes fixed firmly on the axe in his hand. "Yes?"

"Why don’t you give me a hand here."

"You seem to be doing just fine on your own."

"I wanna get as much of this choppin’ done as can be before breakfast. Four hands’re better’n two, even if two of ’em’s yours." He held out the axe to Simon, smirking. "Take it. You go on choppin’ while I take what’s done and stack it beside the house."

Adjusting his grip on the axe, Simon hefted its weight. "It’s summer. Why are you chopping wood now?"

Jayne grabbed some wood and rolled his eyes. "They need it for the stove, dumbass. Electricity ain‘t cheap out here. For top three percent, you don’t know nothin’, do you?"

A mutinous look on his face, Simon set a piece of wood on the chopping block. "Got any gloves?"

"‘Fraid you’ll ruin them lily white hands?"

Glaring, he stepped back and brought the axe down with all his might, wishing it were Jayne’s head.

"Kayls?" Kaylee jumped slightly at the sudden intrusion into the otherwise silent shop. Her Pa had headed in to the house the moment the smell of fresh eggs made it out to them in the barn, leaving her alone with all the machinery. Not that she minded in the least, always did her best thinking when surrounded by metal.

Either a thing worked or it didn’t. And if a thing didn’t work, she’d find some way to make it. All it took was looking at a piece from all angles to find what was broken. After that, it was just tinkering and finagling and wheedling to get an engine purring again. Sometimes she came across something that, no matter how she tried, just stayed broke. ‘Bout the only thing to do then was replace the part. Problem was, there weren’t any replacement parts for her family.

"Kaylee?"

"Over here, Finn." She pushed out from under the Lysander 4350 she’d been tinkering with. She’d never had her hands on an engine of the like, and couldn’t resist exploring all its parts, big and small.

"C’mon. Ma’s holdin’ breakfast on you." He had one hand braced on his hip, an amused smile tilting the corner of his mouth. "Figures you come home and the first thing you do is find the nearest engine."

"I come home an’ the first thing you do is find the nearest pretty girl."

Finn couldn’t hide the smile lighting his face, though he tried. "Ain’t nothin’. She’s different than the other girls, is all."

Kaylee sobered slightly. "You be kind to her, dong ma? River’s gone through plenty you couldn’t even guess. Don’t want you takin’ advantage just ‘cause she might smile at ya."

"Take advantage? Me?"

She dried her hands on an old towel, giving him a bland look. "I know exactly what you and Tien Li got up to three summers ago. Ain’t like to forget, walkin’ in on that."

Finn grinned. "Yeah, me neither."

"River ain’t like that. She’s a proper girl. Raised in the Core."

He scowled at her. "Just ‘cause you’ve been off world a while, don’t go gettin’ airs like you’re better’n me, Kaywinnet."

"I am better’n you," she teased.

Didn’t seem like Finn was in a teasing sort of mood. "Y’know me good enough, I wouldn’t hurt a girl to save my life."

She smiled gently. "River’s different, Finn. She’s been… sheltered."

Folding his arms across his chest, he narrowed his eyes at his sister. "I know just lookin’ at her that she’s a better person than all the rest of the women on this moon put together, you don’t have to tell me. She‘s smart and beautiful and sweet… just watch her with them pups, and you can tell how special she is. She don‘t look down on nobody, and when she smiles her eyes get all big and shiny, like melted chocolate – the real kind, not the synthetic stuff. Take a man more foolish’n me to look at her and see just another girl. Couldn‘t hurt her even if my life depended on it. Girl’s like that… they only come by once in a lifetime."

He stopped when he realized Kaylee was laughing at him. "What?"

"Just wanted to make sure you knew how special she was. I can see that you do."

"You always were able to talk anything out of me," he grumbled. "I didn’t miss that."

She reached out, giving him a tight hug. "‘Course you did. That’s what big sisters are for."

Finn gave her a sheepish smile and hugged her back. "In case I didn’t say it earlier, I did miss you, Kayls."

"I know," she squeezed his arm. "I missed you too."

"And as touching as this is, breakfast is still waiting on us. Don‘t think that mercenary of yours‘ll be too happy eatin’ food gone cold."

"Wouldn’t worry none, Jayne’ll eat whatever’s put in front of him so long as it comes with a knife. And he’s not my anything."

"Not what Ma says."

"Ma just loves playin’ matchmaker is all. Don’t matter none, ship’ll be taking off before long." She slowed as they neared the house, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. "Finn?"

"Hmm?" He stopped, looking back at her.

"How are things, really?"

His lighthearted smile drained away, revealing weary lines that had no place on her little brother’s face. "Work ain’t comin’ into the shop like it used to. We’re making enough to keep the animals fed though, and so long as we have the farm, not like we‘ll starve."

"But what if…"

"Don’t borrow trouble, Kayls. You know Ma don’t like ‘what ifs.’ Now come on – let’s go eat."

Continue to part three