[RL for Kaylee]

[urbandev]

After speaking to her on the community, Reeve readied Cait Sith and prepared to worldhop himself to Serenity. As requested, he brought himself directly to the engine room to avoid any contact with the crew. And, though Kaylee wouldn't yet recognize what a rare event this was, he was clothed in casual "grub clothes" -- a pair of loose cotton pants and a stained button down, far too worn for business. After all, he was going to be digging around in an engine for the girl.

Once he arrived, he began peering around the large central engine. It was enormous, and his fingers itched to get started -- but not without his expert guide.

"Kaylee?"

Comments

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

She really hadn't been prepared for this at all. She had once visited another world and though it had felt strange, she was excited. To have someone else here? That was even stranger. Exploring was something she'd always done, but bringing someone into her own space, her own time... that was different. However, sitting tensely in the engine room, she heard her name. The small room couldn't have been more than fifteen feet wide and twenty-five feet deep, but you could easily hide behind the engine from one side to the other. He rounded the engine, which she noted was making a horrible sound at the moment as the alignments made her work harder than necessary.

"Welcome to Serenity," she said cheerfully, greeting him with a smile. There was a very obvious difference in them, but she noted that it wasn't something bad. She was going to have to get used to this whole community thing.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"Thank you."

He responded with a warm smile, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. Different, yes, but an engineer was an engineer. They'd get along just fine.

"That knocking isn't healthy for her, is it?" Her being Serenity. Speaking of hers who were unhealthy, he kept one eye on Kaylee, well aware that she wasn't at her best. No further injury for her on his watch. His ribs, of course, were a different story.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

Kaylee stood to greet him anyway. She swallowed back the strain in her abdomen as the muscles tried to compensate for the currently healing hole there. "No it ain't. Nothin' that she can't survive, of course. Just a check up really. I'd hate to leave it. Can really tear her up and makes her harder to fix later," she explained.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"Kaylee, please, sit."

He smiled, shaking his head. "Point me at what needs fixing. You may have to talk me through some of it, but I'm not half bad with electronics, if I say so myself."

Nor with girls, come to think of it. He'd have her sitting quietly, maybe with a nice nutritious healing brew or potion, if they had those on this world. Just wait and see!

...Or something. It still beat thinking about his ribs. And how he'd injured his ribs. And the fact that Tseng was gone. He was looking forward to getting his hands dirty.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine!" she argued. "Besides, the girl is a bit temperamental. I'll need to be there to point it out since you'll be half under the engine anyway. I can't shut her off, but we won't need to."

Kaylee was stubborn. She knew that and most others did. Her captain had to fight with her to get her to agree a lot of the time too. She always gave in... eventually.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Stubborn? Maybe a bit competitive, too.

"Bet I don't need you pointing," he said with a boyish grin. "How about we try it my way, first, and you get a chance to prove me wrong?"

*ahem* scuse me while I make up engineering crap

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"You can't possibly know what the grav-relay is hooked into and how to be sure that the power running out of it is secured properly. She's awful testy and won't want to do what you want her to," Kaylee crossed her arms over her stomach and immediately regretted it.

Maybe she should sit down. Okay fine, but only because she was lightheaded. She leaned against the wall at first.

/allows it.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"Believe it or not, I've worked on airships before.]

A grav-relay? Brow furrowed, he scanned the mass of cables in front of him. It took him about fifteen minutes to sort it all out, but he was patient, and soon enough he pointed the part in question.

"It looks to me like she's got a problem with the compressor here. It's trapping air, and that's the knock?"

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

She looks unimpressed as he sorts through everything on the engine. However, after fifteen minutes, he'd started to look like he was making some headway and then proceeded to point out the grav-relay and tell her what was wrong with it. Of course, Kaylee was familiar with the noise and she knew that was what the problem was. Serenity had done this same thing plenty times before.

"Alright, then how do you fix it?" she asked, smirking. It was actually fairly simple. They just let the girl run without the cap on, let her decompress. Really what she needed was a new compressor, but that wasn't going to happen.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"You don't have another compressor I could swap in?" he asked, dusting off his fingers. "Otherwise you could run her without the cap."

It wasn't an ideal solution. His brow furrowed as he ran his fingers over the working. Once you got past the life support systems, an engine was an engine.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

She grins at him. Okay, she likes this guy. Kaylee gives up and heads to her favorite corner where she's hung a hammock. She eases back into it before gesturing towards him, "Ain't got a new one. Need a new one, but don't have the money to replace it. Run her with the cap off. Let her decompress. She'll be find for another week before I have to do it again."

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

He likes her, too, and he comes over to help her into the hammock before returning to twist off the cap. He sets it safely away from the rotating parts of the engine, where it won't get knocked about and lost.

"Money a bit tight around here, hmmm?"

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

She wouldn't have let him help her into the hammock, but she gives up and lets him. Once she's laying back, she feels the pain ease away. Relaxing her stomach muscles helped more than she cared to admit. He does what needs to be done with the fix and she watches him, one hand twirling a lock of loose hair.

"Ain't got much," she replied, "we work whatever jobs we can get, but not a lot of spare dough around. We make due."

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"I know the feeling." Granted, funding hasn't been a problem for him in a very long time, but there are plenty of people in Edge who aren't so lucky. And, as much as he wants to help them, at the moment that desire is weighing against his anger and apathy from losing Tseng.

"At least you're still flying."

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"That's what the captain's always sayin'; can't take the sky from me," she smiles, tilting her head to the side and smiling. "We ain't got much, but what we got is well loved. And Serenity'll keep flyin' forever so long as I'm watching out for her."

She's listening to the engine, too. She notices that it starts to mellow out, though it could use some more time... and a new compressor. "Thanks, by the way."

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"He sounds like a remarkable man." Who doesn't like strangers on his boat. He'll have to keep that in mind, if he was visiting here.

He, too, has an ear turned toward the engine. "It's really nothing. It's a pleasure to get out of the office and work with my hands, honestly."

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"He is. Fought in the war an everything," she looks a little bit excited about that, "he may be a criminal now, but he's got good intentions." Okay, only Kaylee can make being a criminal sound nobel... or even try. She giggles, but has to stop short when the pain rises up again.

"So what do you do?" she replies, her voice slightly strained.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"Believe it or not, I wasn't always on the right side of the law."

He frowns as she strains again, coming over worriedly. "You need to take it easy, dear. You shouldn't be straining those muscles."

In answer to her question, he leans against the wall. "Now I'm in charge of... more or less everyone on my planet, currently. I imagine your captain wouldn't think much of me.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

She hated having to be still for so long. Having to sit and watch someone else work on her engine was almost as agonizing. She took a few shallow breaths and relaxed.

"Mal doesn't think much of anybody," she admitted. "Can't imagine not likin' you. You're awful sweet to me, after all."

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Poor Kaylee! At least it was someone who'd treat Serenity with the same respect?

"All the same, he doesn't sound fond of authority." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly, you're the one doing me a favor, here. I haven't been allowed out for six weeks, and I needed the distraction."

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"I probably shouldn't have let you over here," she grinned. Kaylee was no stranger to doing things she wasn't supposed to or even helping people do so. "I'm glad you're here, at least. Needed the company. Ain't supposed to be down here in the engine room, but that's what it is."

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"And I shouldn't have come." He grinned at her, setting his feet up. "A fine pair we make, hmmm?"

He carefully avoided pressing for details about what had happened, even though he was dangerously curious about who would hurt such a sweet girl. If he asked, he would have to talk about his own injury, and he wasn't ready to do that. Not yet. Besides, he had a feeling this captain of hers would deal with it.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"Quite a pair," she repeated at him, relaxing a little now that the engine was finally starting to sound more like herself. She sighed and looked over at him, before staring up at the ceiling again.

The story was actually more interesting than he probably realized. Well, it was mostly interest. She wasn't going to stop him from asking.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

But then, of course, she'd be curious about his ribs -- and telling her about that would require explaining about the shadows -- and Tseng. He didn't want to think about Tseng at all, quite honestly. It was just too painful after his lover's sudden disappearance from the community. Besides, he'd already heard some about what had happened.

So he settled on a safer topic. "Other than you and your captain, what is life like on this ship?

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

Kaylee wouldnt have known to ask or not ask more about his injuries. She just figured he was hurt like the rest of the world got hurt: doin' somethin' stupid. She smiled over at him and avoided shrugging or moving in response. "Oh, ya know... Excitin', dangerous and often it ain't so legal."

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Stupid? Absolutely. But no longer funny-stupid. Much better to focus on her.

"So you said." His lips twisted wryly. "I remember being on the side of exciting, dangerous, and not so legal. It was much more fun then being on the side of righteous and politically correct."

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, we don't do much other than try and make our way. Not a lot of righteous out on this side of the black," she replied cheerful enough. It wasn't easy having to steal for your livelihood everyday. It made it hard to feel like there was anything good in the world. Unless you are Kaylee. Then everything is good

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Unless you were Kaylee. That seemed to an important concept to grasp. Just being around her made things seem a little brighter.

Still, there had been a time where Reeve's day to day existence had been simply trying to make his way. He could appreciate the challenge, even if it was no longer applicable to his life.

"It must be fascinating, moving from planet to planet this way. I can't imagine anything like that."

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

Everything in Kaylee's head is brighter. She can see the good in even the worst situations. Except getting shot. That definitely was not a good plan. She just smiled as an initial response. "meet lots of folk from all sorts of places. Never dull. Well, sometimes it is. The long in-between trips ain't so fun," she gave a weak giggle.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

He doubted getting shot had been intentional. It rarely was. It fell in a long line of things people rarely planned on.

"I can imagine. We more or less walked across the planet once. Despite the alarming adrenaline shots we got in the major cities, there was a great deal of unpaved road and boredom in-between." Especially when no one would talk to the traitor.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"What were you doing walking all over?" she asked as innocently as possible. Unfortunately for him she was a naturally curious person and had no problem in asking those questions as they came to her head. With a smile she tilted a little in the hammock to get a better look at him. "Reckon I don't know much about ya." Simple observation, that was.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

It's true, they know very little about eachother. And there's no reason for him not to talk about those days -- at least, not anymore.

"There was a bit of a calamity on my world, a few years ago." He was having fun with his words, yes, but could you blame him? "A madman tried to destroy -- everything, quite honestly. We were on something of a quest to prevent that."

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

She listened with the most intrigued expression on her face. Kaylee never feigned interest in anything. When he was done explaining she smiled, even if that wasn't really something to smile about. "Ain't that somethin'. Did you do it? Stop her, I mean." She was trying to remain in the hammock while leaning closer towards him as if distNve made the story different.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"We did." Reeve didn't look too displeased with himself, and why should he? He had been instrumental in saving the world.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"Oh!" she smiled brightly as she expressed her excitement for him. It was short lived, before she realized she'd straight a little more than she probably should have. She tried to relax back into the hammock again and settled with just smiling.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

A frown crossed Reeve's brow as he looked at her. "You've been looked at by a doctor, dear, haven't you?"

Seeing her in pain was simply intolerable. Reeve hated to see anyone hurting, especially when he himself was so glum. He depended on others to lift him out of his funk.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"Got a doc on board. Fixed me up," she replied, looking cheerful again very quickly. "I just keep movin' when I ain't s'pose to." That made her laugh - and hurt - but she laughed anyway. She relaxed quickly though and the engine sounded like it was doing alright now.

"You can put the cap back on her now. Think she'll be fine for a couple o' weeks," she interjected.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"You'll want to see to that." He smiled wryly, then stood to do as she asked. It didn't take him more than a minute, as he was now moderately well versed in the workings of Serenity's engine. He gave the girl an affectionate pat as he returned.

"She's a wonderful ship, Kaylee."

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"You really think so?" she asked sweetly, accepting the little pat and not having a problem with him doing so. He was rather affectionate and she certainly didn't mind. She was the one who was always touchin' and kissin' the rest of the crew. In a friend-like manner, of course.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"Absolutely. I've never worked on more than a truck or a motorbike but I know good machinery when I see it."

Which was true enough. And Reeve was equally tactile, so he didn't mind all the friend-like touching. Besides, he'd been far more lonely than he was used to these past few weeks, with Tseng out of the house.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"Impressive," she replies, "you could make one helluva mechanic. Don't see many out there with natural talent." She is half inclined to have him over more often so she could teach him more, especially since he took to it so easily.

As for touching, Kaylee was pretty lonely out here, though she'd never admit it. She was all too often the tom boy and mechanic as opposed to being a girl first, then a mechanic. She didn't have much time to think about it now, though.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

He laughed a little. "I'd like to think I am one hell of a mechanic. Just not on anything like this. I got started as a civil engineer, actually. And an architect, and a programmer -- Reeve was just a dash of everything awesome all in one middle aged body.

[firefly-frye.livejournal.com]

"Is there anything you can't do?" she asked, figuring that list might be shorter and easier to get through by the way he was going on. She giggled and discretely clutched her side where it hurt when she laughed. That was an unfortunate cruelty. To be a joyful person that it hurts when you laugh.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Reeve laughed as well and shook his head.

"Nothing, actually. You've caught me." He smiled for a moment, then added, "I'm a terrible shot. Laughable, actually. And I've never been good at parcheesi."