"It's not fair!" Amina stomped her foot down and crossed her arms. Zoe stood over Wash ignoring her daughter's tantrum.

"How long till we hit Whitefall?" She asked.

"Pluh ese I promise I'll take care of it. You won't have to do nothing." The girl stepped in view of her parents hoping that they would concede and allow her wish.

"Few hours or so. I'm not feeling too good about going back to Whitefall. Last we were here Patience didn't take it too well."

Amina grabbed her mother's arms. "Momma! Pluh ese. I'll be good for now on. I'll eat all my food, I won't glue anywhere I ain't supposed to…"

Wash turned to his daughter, "That was you?"

Amina gave her father puppy dog eyes and shook her head, "No Poppa." She climbed into his lap and snuggled up close. "Poppa, I'm promise. And God daddy says a man is as good as his promise."

Wash laughed. "Wise words. But, it's not my decision, princess. You got to convince your Momma."

Zoe looked out the window of the ship. "We got no choice. Jobs running scare these days." She turned to her daughter who was still trying to work over her father. "Amina, decision been made."

"Poppa?" Her big blue eyes pleaded her father to overrule Zoe.

Wash looked at Zoe, then back at Amina. "Sorry Princess your Momma makes the rules around here." Wash smiled.

"Zoe you up here?" Mal's voice called from the back.

Amina jumped off her father's lap and into Mal's arms. "God daddy!" she squealed.

Mal caught the six year old and kissed her on her forehead. "Měi lì nǚ hái, what's your parents not letting you do this time?"

"They won't let me keep one of the puppies. It's not fair! Mally got PuppyBoy and Gabe got BunnyBoy. I want a pet!"

Wash turned around, "You got Jayne sweetie."

Mal laughed. "Princess, those dogs aren't for pets. They're our cargo that needs tending to by your Momma."

Amina gave Mal her puppy dog eyes. "But God daddy it's not fair!" She wiggled herself down. "But do we have to give him all of them?"

Mal crotched down so he was eye level to the six year old girl, "If it was up to me little one I've give you the moon of Lindium, but your folks…" Mal looked at Wash.

"But God daddy you're the captain can't you order them?"

Wash and Mal laughed. "Amina your Momma never taken orders from me…besides those pups are fetching us a good price. We need the coin."

Amina sighed in defeat. "The boys get to have all the fun."

Zoe smiled. "We'll the boys don't get to help me with the cargo."

Amina perked up. "I can help on a job?"

Zoe stretched out her hand. Amina quickly grabbed it. "Yes come on."

Wash waited until Zoe and Amina were out of ear shot, before he spoke again. "Don't like this Mal. Whitefall isn't that big. Patience gets wind of us…"

"She won't. We're delivering puppies, Wash. How much more family friendly can we get? We're at the bottom of the barrel here. We got Chao breathing down our necks for the coin we owe, fuel running low, things fallin' apart, and I'm tired of eating protein paste and hard biscuits. Don't matter how much spice the Preacher puts on it, it still taste like Jayne's feet."

"I know the steaks, Mal. But it seems to me that we're always at the bottom of the barrel." Wash said matter of fact.

Mal stepped closer to Wash. "You got a point?" He asked.

Wash stood up to face Mal. "I haven't told Zoe yet, but I got a wave from a guy I went to flight school with. He's opening up a cruise line and he's asked me to fly his flag ship."

Mal scoffed. "You think you're actually gonna be happy flying in a straight line?"

"It ain't about my happiness, Mal. I got three kids to think about. Mally needs new shoes, Gabe been begging us to see The Great Malonie on Persephone, and Amina wants to learn to play the dulcimer. Zoe and I haven't bought anything new in months…I got more holes in my underwear than I like to admit. This job could change things for me and my family. I'm not happy living at the bottom of the barrel, Mal."

"Why are you telling me this and not your wife?"

"You know Mal."

Mal smirked. "I thought this was water under the bridge. Remember all the bonding cause I got a scar right…" Mal lifted up his shirt and pointed to a scar on his chest. "here."

Wash shook his head. "I take this job Zoe will resent me. You tell her it's ok for me to take the job…"

"She'll what, Wash? Follow you like a good little wife."

Wash punched Mal in the jaw. " yú bèn de hóu zi jì nǚ" He swore as he winced in pain.

Mal laughed and rubbed his chin. "I'm gonna let that slide." Mal moved in closer to Wash. "Zoe does what she wants. Always have." With that said he turned to leave but was meet by Zoe.

"Captain." Zoe said kind of wryly. "We got a problem with the cargo."

"Right." Mal turned to Wash. "Nice talk. We should do the man bonding thing more often." He followed Zoe off the bridge.

"Did I interrupt something?" Zoe asked as they walked down the stairs.

"No your husband and I were just having ourselves a little palaver is all."

Zoe looked at him. "Yeah."

Amina was sitting on the floor holding one of the puppies. "Momma he still won't move."

"It's ok baby, he's just sleepy. Why don't you find Inara and practice your calligraphy."

"But you said I could help!"

Zoe didn't say a word to glare sternly at the child. Amina put the dog down. "Yes ma'am."

Zoe watched until she saw Amina go into Inara shuttle before she spoke. "I notice these two when Amina was feeding them. They won't eat."

Mal looked puzzled. "Maybe they're not hungry."

"They're dogs, sir. They're always hungry."

Mal still didn't understand the worry. "Maybe one of the kids gave them something."

Zoe shook her head. "Couldn't of. Mally been with the Preacher all day and Gabe's with Simon."

"Wèi shén me zuò féi pàng fū ren zài wǒ de tóu tou zǒng shì lā shǐ liǎo. What do you think wrong with them?"

Zoe shook her head. "Don't know." The dogs were in the corner and they have a listless look about them. They both are painting heavily and not moving.

Mal punched one the crates. The dogs started barking.

"Captain." Zoe stood calm. "It might be nothing."

"And it might be everything."

Translations

Měilìnǚhái Beautiful girl

Wèi shén me zuò féi pàng fū ren zài wǒ de tóu tou zǒng shì lā shǐ liǎo Why does the fat lady always shit on my head.

yú bèn de hóu zi jì nǚ Stupid Monkey whore

A/N: The story idea comes from Serenity Adventures RPG.