Approaching Briseis

The journey out to Briseis was set to take about two weeks. Mal had considered taking what he called "the scenic route" but a lack of fuel forced them to take a shorter way there. Lou was aprehensive. She had begun to see Serenity as a home. She had found a klose knit family onboard. Everything from her friendship with Kaylee and Inara to the love she had for River made her push the thought of leaving to the back of her mind. Eventually, once Saphire and Brooke were on board, she knew she would have to go back to Valhalla again. She treated every meal she cooked as if it was the last one she'd get to make onboard. She missed her daughters with a pain that left a hole in her heart, and the hope of soon seeing them made her restless. No amount of punching the bag in the cargo by seemed to release her tension. Jayne tried to distract her, and succeeded to some degree in putting a smile on her face. She avoided the thought of leaving him as much as she could. It just felt like a punch to the gut. For now she tried to focus on getting her daughters and spent all her spare time sewing clothes in what she estimated to be their sizes out of spare fabric and worn out shirts. Recalling Brooke's love for dolls, she made a ragdoll with a couple of dresses. Just in case.

About a week in, Wash announced over the com that Mal needed to come to the bridge. They were being hailed by another freighter.Mal walked up, followed by most of the crew. Not a lot had been happening so they were all keen for news.On screen a female face turned up."Hey there, this is captain Iris Hudson of Aurora. I didn't expect to see another freighter this way," she said."Seems friendly enough," Mal said to his crew."Yeah. About as friendly as a pihana on a diet," Jayne mumbled. "You have trust issues," Lou said. "No I don't. I trust you well enough, don't I?" he said.Mal pushed the button."This is Captain Reynolds of Serenity. How can we help you?" Mal said."We were wondering if you have any goods to trade onboard. We have aquired a surplus and thought we might save ourselves a landing," captain Hudson smiled."Well. We are on our way to do a pick up. On a schedule you might say," Mal replied. "Surely you have time for a short.... social visit?" Captain Hudson said with a voice as sweet as honey. "I smell trouble," Wash mumbled."Yeah. A whole lot of it too," Jayne agreed."I'm bored. A short social call won't hurt," Mal said and pressed the button again."Get ready for boarding. We'll see you soon," Mal said into the com."Folks. Get ready for some action. Wash, bring us up," he told his crew."Might be we get to have some fun," Jayne grinned. "Oh I trust we will, " Mal said. "What is it with these boys?" Zoe huffed."I don't see why we have to go," Wash said."That's because you are the only sane person onboard this ship," his wife smiled."And yet I follow orders," Wash shook his head steering the firefly to intercept with the nearby freighter.

The shuttle and Serenity connected and the cargo doors opened to reveal a tall female captain and a trio of large female fighters all equipped with guns and fierce smiles. Mal, Zoe, Jayne and Lou were Serenity's slightly less fearsome equivalent. Lou studied the Amazons in front of her and suddenly felt both short and dumpy in comparison. "Now this is looking like fun," Jayne grinned studying the female warriors."Ain't you forgetting something?" Zoe asked."What?" He said."Trust me. What you have stood next to you is much less likely to cut your throat," Zoe said.Jayne shot Lou a confused look, making Lou laugh."Oh, I'll cut your throat if that's what you want," she grinned.Jayne eyed the women in front of them."Still... would be fun to try..." He said with a grin.Mal took a step forward towards the other captain."I'd stay right there if I was you, Captain Reynolds," Captain Hudson smiled wolflike eyeing the rest of his crew."I see your social call may not have been so social," Mal said."I've never seen the inside of a firefly before. I was curious," she replied."Ain't much to see I suppose," Mal said evenly. Lou detected a tone of worry in his voice."Probably not. But I take it you don't mind us having a tour of the place?" she smirked and walked on board."No, please. Be my guest," Mal said.The warrior women trouped on board giving Zoe, Jayne and Lou condescending looks on their way past. Lou was relieved by their disinterest. These women looked fierce. They made even Zoe look small. She noticed Jayne puffing his chest out trying to be impressive, and hid a smirk as they trooped past him without looking in his direction making him deflate slightly. Mal followed the women in."What are you carrying?" Captain Hudson asked."Sheepskins. Settler equipment. Nothing on board of any value," Mal replied."Oh. We are not after that kind of cargo," Hudson smiled.Lou and Zoe exchanged a fearful look."News on the cortex speak of a firefly carrying a very special young woman... and her brother," Hudson grinned."Well ours is not the only firefly in the sky," Mal tried. Lou turned to look at where the rest of the amazons had gone, seeing River sitting on the catwalk. Desperately she looked straight up to meet River's gaze while silently praying that River wouldn't do anything silly."Damn child," Jayne muttered.Hudson looked up and spotted River. Lou sent River a warning look.River smiled down at them."Are we having guests?" she asked."Where the hell is Simon," Jayne muttered.Lou took a deep breath, shooting a look at Mal who was beginning to look worried. She decided to take a risky chance."They are only here to look around the ship, sweetie. Why don't you go back to your reading?" Lou said with a smile hoping with all her might that River would pick up on the warning."But, Mama, we haven't had visitors on board before," River said in a perfect imitation of Lou's accent."Young lady, this is not the time or place for you to argue. Go do your schoolwork," Lou said in her best maternal tone.Hudson studied her.River set up her best sulky face and stomped theatrically out of the room."Teenagers!" Lou smiled with a shrug.Mal sent her a questioning look."I know. I'll have a talk with her afterwards," Lou said to the captain."Good. Get that daughter of yours under control," Zoe said in a suspiciously neutral voice."They are a handful at that age," Lou said when Hudson continued to study her."So that was your daughter was it?" Captain Hudson asked."Yep. Curious little thing. Wants in on everything we do," Lou smiled."And the father?" Captain Hudson asked."Long gone," Lou shrugged."Seems a strange place to be. Hauling a teenager through space," Captain Hudson stated."Just on our way home, ma'm," Lou smiled."Any other passengers on board?" Hudson asked."Nope. Just the crew. Pilot, mechanic and medic in addition to these three," Mal replied."That's a shame," Hudson said"If you tell us exactly what you are after, we might be able to help," Mal said."We are recruiting. As you probably have figured out, we have an all female crew and we only hire the best," she smiled. "Well these are my crew so I suggest you try looking somewhere else. I hear they have lots of talented young women on Boros," Mal stated."I'm sure there are, but the best are already taken. Doesn't look like there are any worth the trouble here either," Hudson said measuring Zoe with her eyes."Nope, Just a humble freighter crew," Mal said."We were hoping to find this girl tho. There is quite a lot of money to be had for her," Hudson said before turning to Lou. "Trouble is she doesn't seem to be here. Unless some of you are not telling the truth."The three amazon warriors came back hauling Wash, Simon and Kaylee. "Here we go," Jayne muttered."That is a rather disappointing catch," Hudson grinned. "Go get the girl as well."One of the warrior women let go of a sobbing Kaylee and came back a few moments later with River.Captain Hudson strode over to Lou. "If that's your daughter, I guess you are willing to prove it," Hudson said."She is my child," Lou said."Doc here can prove it," Mal said.Simon suddenly catching on to Lou's idea looked up and nodded.A couple of minutes later Lou, River, Mal and Captain Hudson were in the infirmary.Simon had a small needle in one hand getting a drop of blood out of Lou's finger before repeating the procedure on River. He put the blood into a reader and showed it to Captain Hudson. The screen read "DNA match". "See. River is Lou's daughter," Simon said."Fine. I guess we'll have to look elsewhere," Hudson said looking at them suspiciously.Back in the cargo bay, Captain Hudson strode into he own ship."Shoot them," she ordered. "I want this ship, but not the vermin."The warrior women got their guns out and aimed for Kaylee, Wash and Jayne."I wouldn't do that if I were you," Mal said.Within seconds, Zoe had kicked the gun out of one amazon's hand and Mal had his gun trained on another. Jayne grinned at the woman aiming for him before lifting his own gun up."I have an honest distaste for shootin on womenfolk, but I think I might make an exception," he said."That's a shame... we could have spared that one," the woman smiled sweetly.The one next to her looked at him. "Yep. Looks like he might have been useful... for a while," she smiled."What are you thinking, big boy. Wanna visit our ship for a while?" the first one smiled enticingly."A ship full of women. Big man like you could have some real fun..." The second one said.Lou groaned inwardly as she watched Jayne come to an understanding of their full meaning and a grin spread across his face."Gorram idiot," She muttered and got her gun out.Seeing Zoe on the opposite side of the larger women, she took a few steps towards the amazons and trained her gun at the nearest one's head. Zoe had taken up a similar position on the opposite side."I don't like big messes, so I suggest you best leave my boat," Mal said aiming at the last one."I kinda like the captain too," the one with Zoe's gun on her head purred."Yeah. He's got some fire to him," One of the others agreed."Well. The only fire you are going to see out of me is the firing of my gun if you don't get off my ship," Mal said.The warrior women looked at him with theatrical hunger."Unless you haven't noticed we have enough womenfolk on this boat to keep us busy for years," Mal said making Lou want to laugh."You heard the captain. Get going," Zoe said."Should have shot the women first," One of the women said."Yeah. Let's do that," another one said swinging her gun out in Lou's direction. Lou noticed that the aim was at her head without the visitor even looking in her direction."I think not," Simon said and dropped a box of something onto the woman's head from up on the catwalk. Lou and Zoe both grabbed the opportunity of the distraction and kicked the knees out from the remaining two visitors. Mal sprinted over to help. With a remarkable display of teamwork, the visitors were soon disarmed and backbound.Mal hoisted the unconscious one in the direction of the door."Thank you for seeing us. I hope we never see you again," he said heaving her through the door.With all their guns aimed at them, the Serenity crew herded the remaining two out and shut the doors."Now that was fun," Lou said ironically."It could have been," Jayne mumbled.Lou looked at him for a moment."Are you really that dumb?" she asked with her hands on her hips."Not like I would have gone," He muttered."The would have killed you without as much as looked at you," she said shaking her head in exasperation.Lou walked over and hugged River. "That was quite clever. Pretending River was your daughter," Kaylee said."Yeah. How did you get away with the DNA-thing tho?" Wash asked."Quite simply by some distraction and some quick swapping of blood," Simon said showing a finger with an identical puncture mark to Lou and River's."Of course, if she had looked a bit closer at the screen she would have seen that the result on the right indicated male dna," Simon smiled.

In the following days Lou's cookery classes continued. River seemed unable to understand how basic flavours could not be combined in any direction. So far, she had mixed chocolate flavouring into everything to see if it would work.They were on their last day of the journey to Briseis. Lou had been trying for a couple of hours to make River understand how even tiny amounts of one thing might mean a lot to the flavour. "Salt. You put in a little and it lifts the flavours. You add a lot and it ruins the food," Lou told her. "Sodium nitrate. Binds water molecules," River nodded."You see. It is only applied chemistry," Lou said."Chemistry. Chemical components and nutrients combining," River said. "That's it," Lou was sitting trying to explain the basics of cooking to River when suddenly a clumsily wrapped package landed in front of her. She turned to see a slightly embarrassed Jayne behind her."Got'cha something," he murmured."You got me a present?" Lou asked feeling very surprised."Yeah," he said stuffing his hands into his pockets."Thank you," Lou said looking at the parcel of crumpled brown paper wrapped in rough string. She turned to look at him."Come here," she said waving seductively with her index finger."What for?" He grumbled."So I can give you your thank you kiss," she giggled.He shook his head."I ain't kissin in front of other people," he mumbled.Lou stood up and took a step towards him."Silly boy," she murmured and grabbed hold of his face to kiss him."I'll find a better way for you to thank me later," he said with grainy voice grabbing hold of her buttock and squeezing her roughly. Since the crew found out about their relationship, he had become more posessive and crude when there were other people nearby. In private he had opened up his more tender sides, spending an eternity drawing patterns on Lou's skin with his fingertips.Lou turned back to the parcel and untied the cord. Inside was a delicate silk kimono in shimmering nuances of a pale blue and moss green that seemed to change with the motions of the fabric.Lou swallowed a big lump of emotions and blinked back some tears."Thank you. This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," she turned to look at Jayne."He's scared," River murmured."What?" Lou had momentarily forgotten River."He is scared that you won't like it. It reminds him of your eyes," River smiled."The girl don't know a gorram thing," Jayne mumbled and left the galley.Lou got up and caught him up in the hallway to the cabins."It is beautiful," she said grabbing his arm."Just thought it'd look good on ya is all," he muttered before a dirty smile spread across his face. "That...and nothing else.""Only if you behave yourself," Lou teased giving him a kiss.She returned to the kitchen to find Kaylee and Inara admiring her gift."It is spectacular," Inara said."I never thought he had it in him to buy something like this," Kaylee smiled surprised.Lou went over to study the garment closer. The fabric was thin silk weighing next to nothing and the changing colour changed like waves on the ocean. "This is high quality. He must have spent a lot of money on it," Inara smiled at Lou."That is so unlike him. He never spends money unless he has to," Kaylee giggled. "What have you done to the beast of Serenity?" Inara teased."I don't know," Lou replied."The man with a girls name has stopped being scared. He is safe now," River said and stroked the fabric.They all studied the fabric for a moment, letting it run like water over their fingers."I don't even know what kind of clothing this is. When do I ever have occasion to wear something beautiful like this," Lou giggled."Oh, I think I have an idea..." Inara said with a cheeky smile.

Later in the evening Lou was dressed in the kimono in her cabin. Her hair was unleashed from her usual tight braid and lay in cascades down to the midle of her back in dark golden waves. Jayne came in and stopped to stare at her. Without a word he sat down on her bunk."What do you think?" Lou asked feeling self concious."I like it," he grinned and pulled her to him making her straddle his lap.Letting his fingers stroke the soft fabric on her shoulders he suddenly became serious."I was just thinking that once you've got your kids and you are with your family on Valhalla again... you might want something to remember me," he murmured into the nape of her neck.