001. [Video]

[river_guardian]

[ The man who appears on screen looks confused, panicked, and more than just a little lost. He is dressed well, but his state of panic has glossed his brow and disheveled his hair a bit. ]
Tzuh muh luh?

Can anyone help me? I... seem to have lost my crew and my little sister.

Mei mei? If you're out there, can you hear me?

Jen dao mei.

[ He clears his throat and tries to regain his usually considerable composure. ]

If anyone has seen a transport ship, kind of a run-down, beat up little thing, please let me know. My sister is sick and I need to get back to her.

Comments

[hot4engines]

"I'm sure I'm fine," Kaylee said firmly. "I know it's hard to swallow, but it's the truth. And it's been known to happen to other people, too. Believe me, I couldn't make this up." She then looked away, tugging a stray thread on her jumpsuit.

"You were here for about... three months, then you disappeared. And afore you go apologizin' for it, like I know you're gonna, it ain't anybody's fault." She made herself face him. "While you were here, we... well. Dated. In secret."

She waited to gauge his reaction to this before going any further.

[river_guardian]

None of this made any sense to Simon, and while she spoke, his expression grew more and more puzzled as he tried to sort it out. He knew for a fact that he'd never been here, and he certainly didn't remember leaving the ship. Something was very, very wrong.

Wait, what was that about secret dating? "We... We what?" Instead of confused, he mostly just looked surprised. "You and me?"

[hot4engines]

"... Yeah." Kaylee nodded, her heart sinking a little. So he apparently didn't remember that, back in their world, they HAD become an official couple.

On the one hand, that did hurt. On the other hand, that might make what had to come next a little easier to swallow.

"After you disappeared from here, I... I felt alone. It took me a while to admit that, but without you, an' without my ship and the rest of the crew... it was lonely. I made friends, but it weren't 'til a few weeks ago when it got to me." She swallowed. "I got kidnapped and... well, never mind what happened then. When I got rescued, I realized that all I had to come back to was my empty bedroom and... and my cat."

Her eyes were welling yet again, but she didn't bother to stop this time.

"...Goddamnit."

[river_guardian]

Simon was unsure about how to react to any of this. He felt awkward and uncomfortable with her pouring her heart out for him like this... How was he supposed to react to it? She did mean a great deal to him, and he was honored that she was giving him this courtesy of letting him know what had happened outside a relationship that he didn't know he was having... Oh no. She was crying.

"Kaylee... Kaylee, look at me, okay?" He said, lifting up her chin. "Don't cry. Okay? Look, I'm here. And... something very strange is going on, but you don't need to cry. Come here." He then closed the distance between them, giving her one of his tight, protective hugs usually reserved for River.

[hot4engines]

She leaned into that hug, closing her eyes, relishing it. She was quite sure that it would be the last one she'd ever have from him, once he found out... She took a big, shaky breath, then looked up at him.

"Look. The truth... the truth is after you left, I slept with one guy and got set up on a date with someone else and I was thinking of seeing him again and if you hate me and don't wanna speak to me again now since that kinda sorta means I been foolin' around on ya I totally understand," she said in a rush, then buried her face in his shoulder.

[river_guardian]

Simon frowned, not sure what it was he should have been feeling. A little betrayed, perhaps, but how could he have blamed her? Still, it stung to think that maybe her advances weren't as sincere as he thought. "I... I'm not sure what to say," he said, looking off somewhere behind her. When her face buried itself in his shoulder, he lifted a hand to stroke her hair. "It's... it's okay? I mean... you are a healthy young woman.. You have needs."

He thought for a moment and then cleared his throat, "So then.. are you seeing someone?"

[hot4engines]

It was a few long moments before Kaylee could bring herself to speak again, and she drew back, wiping her eyes. His touch made her tremble again, and her heart was filled with deep regret- for she realized that her feelings for Simon hadn't really gone away.

"It was one date, and we were fixed up instead'a just... deciding to go out. And now I ain't so sure I want to go on a second one." She looked away. "If you wanna know the truth... it's... that I don't know what to do OR how to feel. Other than the fact that I feel pretty damned scummy. But you gotta understand... I wasn't sure if I was ever gonna see you again. I was... trying to fix how lonely I was. But now that you're back again it's all mucked up. I'm happy to see you. Real happy. But I also feel like I betrayed you."

[river_guardian]

"Wh- betrayed me? Kaylee... We were never... I mean... that is to say... you and I haven't... not yet." He suddenly felt very awkward and stiff. "I can't be mad if you haven't slighted me. That... That's silly. But I mean... if you're with someone else, I can't just expect you to... drop everything because I'm here. I'm not evil." He felt his heart constrict a little as he shifted on the balls of his feet, trying to decide on what to say.

"I care about you.. I don't want to upset you, dong ma?"

[hot4engines]

"And I don't want to upset you." Kaylee wiped her eyes on her sleeve. So he really didn't remember. That much was becoming evident. She could just walk away right now, she realized. Just walk away and see where this thing with Shepard went.

But she couldn't.

She knew that either way she went, she could be hurting someone she cared about.

"I wouldn't call it 'seeing someone', really... it was one date." She looked over at Simon. "... I thought I was okay, but the truth is, my feelings for you ain't gone away. That's what makes this so... so damned complicated. So upsetting." She grabbed one of his hands, entwining her fingers in his. "I don't want to hurt anyone. And I know I don't gotta make a decision right now. Seeing you again... it's already been great."