Title Employee of the Century
Author Brutti ma buoni
Rating PG13
Word Count 1100
Prompt 220 Free For All (Firefly/AtS)
Characters/Pairing (if any) Lilah/Saffron
A/N: Originally for Cat at femslash_minis, who wanted an invitation, stiletto heels, laughter, and no angst


It wasn’t an Alliance jail. That was good. She’d broken out of one before, but it had cost, and seriously undermined the fun of the job that put her there. Simple planetary prisons, though, no big deal. The simpletons hadn’t even connected her with Durran and his call reporting the return of his ‘lost wife’ Yolanda. Thought she was a plain old thief.

So, this is how it would go. There’d be a guard who’d fall for her breathy, naïve little charms. Most people did. And they’d left her her fancy goods, including the handy little lipstick. Night, night Mr Jailer, hello keys and the way out of here.

Almost too easy.

The girl who wasn’t Yolanda touched up her lipstick, made herself as comfortable as possible on her prison cot, and waited for the inevitable next moves.

*

Clack, clack, clack.

Unexpected. Those weren’t the shuffling steps of her guards, nor clog-wearing yokels from the planet’s surface. The only people who could afford shoes like that were supposed to be up on their exclusive estates, not slumming it among the jailbirds.

Although, now the unmistakable signs were coming, she did recall slumming was pretty popular among some of those exclusives. That could be helpful. Breaking out of jail with nowhere to go was necessary, but not fun. Being smuggled out to some exclusive rich-bitch hideaway… Perfect.

So, she had a Plan B. Not too shabby.

*

First impressions: rich-bitch, oh yeah. But not here for slumming. Great shoes, spindly high and impractical, but they and the flimsy scarf round her throat were the only frivolous elements of her outfit. All else was streamlined businesslike grey. Great legs, though. A lady who took care of herself. Whatever Plan C became, it shouldn’t suck.

The stranger spoke.“Can I call you Yolanda?”

“No.” Too quick, but that one still burned.

“What, then?”

“Make it Saffron.” The name had to match the personality for the full effect. Soft, agricultural Saffron sometimes disarmed the suspicious. Worth a shot.

“Fine. I’m Lilah Morgan.” Classy name. Well suited, Madam Business Suit.

“Hello Lilah,” in best soft-Saffron lilt. No discernable seductive effect. Damn. This guise might be the wrong one.

Lilah Morgan smiled politely, maybe a little patronizingly. Playing her would have to be subtle. “Saffron. I’m here to make you an offer of employment.”

Okay, Plan B. That had happened plenty often before now. Mainly rich guys with sleaze in their eyes. But that didn’t mean Lilah’s mind was pure. She’d certainly eyed up Saffron already, seeing the body under the unflattering smock they found to replace the garbage-smelling clothes. Saffron resisted the urge to lick her lips; soft, pink, seductive and too damn obvious for someone as subtle as Lilah. Also: paralysing, which would be bad.

So she watched, as Lilah Morgan set herself up opposite, at the cheap prison table. Major tech: Lilah apparently had mobile access to the Coretex. Impressive, for a planet this exclusive. That meant serious dough. Saffron watched in silence as Lilah went through the technological motions. No idea what was going down. Prepared to work with whatever it was.

There was a blue circle on her briefcase. Maybe a planet, or a star.

Lilah caught her squinting. “Blue Sun Corporation. Recently acquired my former employers. I got an automatic transfer.”

Just for a moment, seemed like there was more to say on that score. If Saffron had been the dramatic kind, she’d have recorded a look of frozen horror on the previously businesslike face. But it passed, as Lilah looked firmly back at the Coretex.

“We think you’re an interesting woman, with a lot of potential. We have you down for successful impersonation, seduction, theft, arson, robbery, assault, second degree murder, fraud, embezzlement, extortion, larceny, blackmail and aggravated mayhem.” One perfect Morgan brow quirked. “Impressive record. Two trials, just the one conviction; overturned on appeal. That speaks to good organisation and self-control.” She looked up from her screen.

“You’re our kind of woman.”

Saffron could have laughed aloud in glee. Finally. Past time someone really saw what she could offer.

She leaned back in the rickety chair, crossed her legs, smiled her best seduction. “Tell me more…”

Ahoy, Plan C. Doesn’t mean I’ll go with it..

*

It took a long time. A lot of talking. But now it was Lilah laughing. “He cut off his beard for you? You must be one seductive woman.”

And that’s my cue. Go back a notch. Time to give good ol’Plan A a shot after all. She makes a great offer, but I’ll take it on my own terms.

A Saffronish blush and flutter of eyelids. She leaned across the rough table. “I get by.” A quirk of brow, a twitch of lips, just to draw Lilah’s eyes there. She was looking, no doubt about it.

Closer. Closer. This one might be fun. “If you like… I could show you.”

Closer still. Those curling lips a bare half inch from her own. “Just a little kiss.”

Kissing. Oh man, she’d missed the touching lately.

Kissing still. Good taste, Lilah Morgan, in all senses of the words. Cool and expensive. Good use of the tongue. Erotic manoeuvring that actually worked for Saffron (which was rare enough) and… why in hell was she still conscious?

Lilah pulled back from the kiss, calm and collected. Nodded, considering. “Yes. Definitely talented. But I think my employers would be unimpressed with that response to their generous offer.” Rumbled. But Lilah didn’t seem offended. Amused, maybe, “I don’t quite respond to narcotics like… average people. Sorry to disappoint you in your little schemes.”

She stood up, walked to the door. “Time to get serious, little girl. Are you in?”

Of course. Saffron was always in. Till she was out.

“Sure. I’d do anything to get off this world.” No point hiding that naked truth any more. Plan A was history.

“I understand. We’ll take you to Londinium if you’re good enough.” Settled that: no way was Saffron going to miss out on the Core.

The eagerness must have shown on her face, because Lilah started to laugh again. Saffron tried to join in, but feeling she was missing some point, somewhere. There was an edge there; didn’t seem to have much to do with the world of discreetly organised crime.

Lilah wiped away a laughter-tear, and called for the guard to let them out. “Oh, my dear girl. You really have no idea what you’re getting into.”

So true. But it’s a long way to Londinium, and I’ll find out on the way.

Besides, there should be more kisses like that one. They had the time.

She wanted to find out what Plan D might be.

***