Dinner For Fourteen

[Arabella Hart]

Bela watched the three leave as she placed the vegetables on a plate, putting them in the oven as well. She felt alone, though Inara was still there. She seemed in her own world. Pulling her shawl around, she decided to wander a bit. Find someplace of solitude, besides her room.

[Out-Common Room]

[Arabella Hart]

Bella set her things down in the kitchen on the floor. She pushed it out of the way so at dinner no one would trip on it. Going back, she pulled out a large pan and quick boil rice. She would have to make plenty in case people wanted second or thirds. But she could do that.

Filling it with water took a few. After, she turned the heat up and set it on the stove. Then, she pulled her hair back. She needed it out of the way. The rice wouldn’t take long at all.

[Haven Tam]

Haven walked in after Bella. She just watched the girl. She seemed so dedicated to her work. Mal would love her.

Going over, she leaned on the counter. The aromas were tempting for her to go grab some out of the stove. “So, what do you think of Mal?” Haven knew the foot gotten off on was a bit wrong. But it would smooth out. Mal wanted her full time. That would make Daniel happy.

[Arabella Hart]

Bella scowled a moment before softening. Steam was rising, but no bubbling. “That was rude about the young thing. But I understand. A lot of people think I’m young.” Taking some salt, she tossed some in to raise the water temperature.

Looking back, she leaned across as well to talk to Haven. “Does it automatically not like people first off? And why is Jayne so scary?” There were other questions that burned she’d have to ask Mal. Because Daniel made it clear that Mal would talk to her mostly.

[Haven Tam]

Haven smiled. These reactions to Mal and Jayne were normal for Haven. "Not hate them, just cautious. bad past with new people." Haven wanted to say more, but was not allowed to. Last time, it had been a fed. Though she knew Bella was no fed, she wasn't allowed to talk about it. "And Jayne will soften. I promise. He's just our gun man and has to be tough and scary." Plus drink, womanize, have an attitude..." But Haven said none of that.

She looked at the cook. This question was burning her. "When were you raped? If you don't mind me asking."

[kaywinnet]

Kaylee walked in and saw Haven and Bella in conversation. It seemed as though their conversation was intense- but she figured it was best to leave it alone. She knew if either of the girls wanted her to know, then they would tell her.

"Hello girls." She smiled, looking at them back and forth. "Bella, I came to see if you needed any help with dinner." She glanced at Bella then stared at Haven for a second. She walked over to her daughter and kissed her cheek. She leaned in to whisper to her "Thanks for filling me in, but it's your brother's business; not yours. Dong-ma?" She hated to sound at all harsh, especially with Haven, but it was true. It was Daniel's own business. She hated to admit that she was glad she knew though. Before she could even give Haven a chance to feel at all guilty she held her tighter, "Of course it is exciting for him, isn't it?" She looked into her daughter's eyes and smiled. She looked back at Bella, keeping her smile. "So, is there anything I can do to help?"

[Arabella Hart]

Bella stopped. The water was boiling so she put rice into it. "About four months back. Just before coming here. Some men on the ship I was working on did it." She looked upa t Kaylee and smiled. "We are nearly done. Just need everything set up." She felt the ship lurch as it took off. Taking a couple hot pads, she held onto the pan so it wouldn't spill. But it was still hot on her hands.

[Haven Tam]

Haven moved with the rocking ship. Everything sunk down into her. The girl had been through so much. Looking around, she finally looked down. "How do you keep going?"

Smiling slightly at her mom, she nodded. "Thought you should've known," she whispered. "but it is." She was just hoping Mal wouldn't be too hard on him for all of this.

[kaywinnet]

Kaylee smiled. She liked the idea of Haven having a new friend and that very same friend being Daniel's 'girlfriend' of sorts. She didn't want to mention the word 'girlfriend' until she knew for sure. But as far as she was concerned, kissin' was pretty official to her; especially as far as her son was concerned. She smiled and walked around the table to the cupboards. She pulled out some plates and turned to Bella and smiled as she spoke.

"Here, let me set the table for you sweetie." She looked to her daughter and motioned toward her with a stack of plates. "Haven?" She set the plates on the counter and got out enough silverware and chopsticks for everyone on board. For a moment she looked over Bella's shoulder- but she stayed far enough away so she knew she wasn't in the way. Food hadn't smelled so good in a long time- even when she cooked it. She was glad for once not to have to cook. "It smells great sweetie." She smiled a motherly smile at her- hoping she knew Kaylee liked her and accepted her, whether she was actually Daniel's girlfriend officially or not.

((OOC: Okay so the end may not make sense- I'm wicked tired but I wanted to give y'all something before I went away until Sunday. Oh and Haven- nice new pics by the way. Stay shiny!))

[Dave Cassidy]

David stepped into the Kitchen and smelled the cooking, he smiled slightly and walked over to the seats in the corner, making sure to stay out of everyones way. Sitting down, he pulled out a small book from his bag and started reading it.

[Captain Malcolm Reynolds]

Mal walked into the kitchen. Inara was steady fast held in his arms. Standing there, he saw Kaylee and Haven there-which was expected-and then Dave. Bella was cooking. Everything was mouth watering. “Well, tonight we will have a real feast.” Inara was light, so this was nothing to him. Going to the counter, he sat on a stool they bought and bolted in after Miranda-when money was good.

“Little miss, we need to talk. About a lot of things. Your past is where I’d like to start though.” He was straight to the pint. He kept it low so Dave couldn’t pick up on it. He would talk to Dave later. He hoped all the plates and stuff would drown it out. Knowing everyone here, someone would go to her side.

[Arabella Hart]

Bella took a spoon and mixed the bags of rice up so they would cook evenly. It only had a few more minutes left. She was actually pondering over Haven's question. "The fact that I don't want to waste away like my mother. That someday I can find a home where I can be happy someday is there. That's what keeps me going. Straightly put? Love." Love and the search for love. The one thing everyone is searching for, but few find.

And this ship radiated love. The family love and the possible future love. The care for everyone here. Her hair was frizzing from the steam, but she didn’t care. After coming out of her doze, she smiled at Kaylee. No one called her sweetie anymore. “Um, thanks.” The captain coming back slightly surprised her. She jumped before grabbing the pot and going to dump the water out. Letting it sit there, all the water drained, she turned back to him. Her voice was soft again, her body shook, and her eyes diverted downward. She expected to have to tell him, but not this quickly. “The quick version I guess huh?”

“My brother died when he was two. I was five. Cows trampled him. My mother stayed in bed and my father couldn’t take care of a farm, mother and little girl. I went to my grandmother’s on Londinium. I learned to cook from the head chef there, Betty. She was more family then my grandmother. I got sick of the matchmaking and setting up. And at seventeen I finally ran away. The first time I was caught. The second, I got away clean. I’ve been roaming the verse for three years now. I was raped about four months ago.” her body shook even harder. She hated to completely talk about it more then that.

“I have no real set allegiances. I grew up around the Alliance, but I hate them. But I know nothing about the brown coats, so I am not with them. My parents are dead. We just left my home planet and my childhood behind. Is this all you wanted to know?” She turned back to the rice to cut all the bags open. She grabbed a large bowl as she wiped her tears on her shoulder. She shouldn’t have said so much all at once. Coming back, she set it on the table, then came to the stove. Her body was shaking fiercely and she was having trouble getting the food form the oven.

[Haven Tam]

Haven went over to help her mother. But listening to Bella made her want to cry and give the girl another hug. She had been through so much in her life. So much more then Haven. Coming back for silverware, she touched Bella's hand. "You have love here. If you want love here." Grabbing everything, she let Mal and Inara pass by. "What the....?" Those two flirted, but this was crazy.

Setting the silverware sloppily, she half listened to Mal and Bella. Bella's life really had been so much harder. The death of her brother, her mother not wanting to do anything, and her father having to give her up? And what happened at her grandmother's to why she would run away so young? This question was the burning one.

Seeing the shakes though, she ran and had her sit down. She'd let someone else grab the food. But Bella needed to sit. "See what happens when you pry right off Mal?" She was mad. This girl seemed to have a fragile nature and he was breaking it down.

[danieltam]

Daniel came in and stood near Bella when Mal started talking to her. He was hoping that Bella would keep most of in to herself, everything she had been through was more than anyone should have to go though and Mal didn't need to know all of those things. After Bella had finished talking, he followed his sister's lead and began to glare at Mal. He wanted to put his arm around her, but she still insisted on focusing on the cooking. He saw how badly she was shaking. He went over to her and helped her carry the food, "Here, let me help you with that."

[Dave Cassidy]

Dave almost laughed as Mal came in with Inara in his arms, he thought that there was something there, but the way that they interacted with each other was strange. When they where talking he saw Arabella almost start crying again, although from where he was he couldn't quite hear what they where saying over the noise from the plates and other ambient sounds to be expected on a firefly, but he realized that they where probably things that shouldn't have been said going by the way everyone looked at the captain afterwards. But, as always, he kept out of it, trying to tune out what little he could hear from the conversation, seeing as how it had nothing to do with him.