Title: Hair Troubles
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: G
Length: 313 words
Content notes: Set between the series and the movie
Summary: Kaylee gets an unusual interruption to her work


Kaylee heard a faint knock on her doorway - so quiet she almost missed it, and she pulled herself out from beneath the engine. River was standing in the doorway, looking a bit glum and nervously fiddling with her hair. "Yes, River? Did you need something?"

River opened her mouth, paused, fidgeted with her hair, and then finally said. "The other one is gone."

It took Kaylee a moment, but tentatively she offered, "Inara is gone?"

River nodded. "Yes. And I saw- I remember - I think-"

Seeing her agitation, Kaylee rose and quickly crossed the engine room to the younger girl. Taking the hand that had been worrying the ends of her hair, Kaylee gave it a reassuring squeeze. "What do you remember about Inara?" she asked.

River reached up with her other hand and pulled a large mat of hair over her shoulder. "She used to fix your hair." the girl whispered.

Kaylee bit back a laugh. She had no idea how River had created such a bad tangle in her hair. "Yes, Inara gave me one of her fancy brushes when she left." Kaylee admitted. "Would you like me to fix your hair?"

"It just dangles there!" River suddenly burst out. "It should be up, be active, not just lying there! They shouldn't just lie there!"

Kaylee gave her shoulders a quick, hopefully reassuring, squeeze. "Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" She brushed a long lock out of River's eyes. "I'll get all the tangles out, and then we'll put it up so it won't be dangling in your face, okay?"

River glanced at her, meeting her eyes in a rare instance. Kaylee saw so much pain in that gaze that her breath caught in her throat, before the younger girl broke the eye contact and smiled. "With the pretty brushes!"

"With the pretty brushes!" Kaylee agreed.