The Universe's Mixer

Up to her neck in the engine was a place Kaylee felt comfortable, but it was not a comforting thought that Serenity had not been responding to her at all. Kaylee was tied up in wires, her lap filled wit tools and her face coveed in splotches and smears of grease and engine muck as she liked to call it. It was the lifeblood of Serenity there on her and Kaylee was feeling like Serenity had finally given her all for the last time. Disheartening. Kaylee still worked diligently on trying to get the Firefly-class vessel off the ground in order to keep Mal and everyone else happy. Kaylee would be glad once she was off the ground again, but even as she thought about it she thought about all the good things the City had given them so far.

There was the food, real food, not bags of powder that they tried to make food out of. Not bars of gross proteins or cakes made to look like chocolate but taste like mud. Even with her helping hand Kaylee couldn't get much out of the kitchen that tasted as good as it looked. Then there was all the interesting things she could see in the city. The movies, the books to read, the dresses to wear and the fancy technology she was itching to get her fingers on and try out. Finally there was Kyle, but even with Kyle being around now and then, it didn't replace Simon in her heart. She tried not to think of Simon and everytime she finally got him off her mind she found something that reminded her of him.

He'd tripped over this wrench. Kaylee held it in her hands tightly and gave a great sigh. She must have sighed too loudly because out from under the engine the pilot of Serenity gave a muffled curse, she must have made him hit his head. "Sorry Wash. Everythin' still ain't workin." Kaylee went back to tightening another bolt and then fiddling with the grav-thrust.

( She'd explained the different parts of the engine to Simon while laying under it with him one night. )