Cargo, Heat, and Observations
Disclaimer: Joss.
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Mal walked up the ramp of Serenity, only to be greeted by none other then Inara. He offered her a smile, thinking on how nice it would be if she were here every time he got done from "work". Made a man feel like he should settle down, have some kids and eat a family dinner every night at the same time. Simple, and if Mal liked anything, he liked simple.
"I have a client." She began causally.
That killed Mal's train of thought right then and there. "Where?" He asked, crossing his arms.
That always managed to annoy Inara. Him objecting to her profession was one thing, but being so… so… pig headed about it was another. "Here, and for a week."
Mal raised his eyebrows in awe. "Must be nice to have that kind of coin. Well the job we have is 'bout a week out, and a week back, so…" he trailed off.
"Don't worry about my accommodations. There is a guild house here, so after I can just go there." She nodded once and turned to leave, only to be interrupted by Jayne.
"Another one o' them female clients?" he asked, waggling his brows.
"If you must know, yes Jayne, it is." She said serenely.
Jayne groaned loudly. "I'll be in my bunk."
Mal shot the taller man a glare. "No you won't. Yer gonna stow the cargo, and THEN clean the bay, dong ma?"
Jayne scowled and sat on a crate, facing out the door. "Fine."
Mal nodded. "Well 'Nara, if there's anything else?"
The Companion shook her head and made her way to her shuttle, while Mal muttered something about "Captain-y things" and made his own way up the stairs and to the bridge.
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Jayne held the cargo in his hands, looking at it curiously. A small black case, smooth on all sides, save a seal that had to be broken with a key. Huh. The Merc walked over the squawk-box and tapped in the Captain's room. "Cap?"
"Yeah Jayne?" Mal asked. He sounded a bit annoyed.
"When you're done with your hand relief, com'on down to the cargo bay… I got the "cargo". And the bay is all shiny"
"I am NOT doing that." Mal argued indignantly.
"Yeah, sure." Jayne smirked and switched the com off. Ten minutes later Mal entered the cargo bay, brows furrowed in confusion as he saw the box.
"That's it?" he asked, more then a little surprised.
"This is it." Jayne just grinned at the shorter man.
"Huh. Well then. I guess I'll just lock this up in my room then. Seein as it's so small and all." Mal said slowly.
"Yeah…" Jayne said, grinning wider.
"What is so gorram funny?!"
"I was just considerin' the fact that it took you ten minutes to get down here. Not doing THAT my ass." Jayne shot back, while climbing the stairs. His laughter drifted back down to the Captain who had the good sense to flush slightly when the brawny Merc was gone.
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Wash and Zoë sat in the bridge in relative silence. Captain was moody as hell, which always happened when Inara left. For someone who was so hell bent on arguing and allowing all the time they spent together to become unpleasant, he sure sulked mightily whenever she left.
"Lamb-y toes?" Wash asked.
"Yes Husband?" she flashed a rare smile in his direction. Well rare outside their bunk.
"Who are we meeting? Take-off and flying and all that tends to leave me a little out of the loop."
"We are going to meet a man by the name of Mr. Universe. Just a drop off and payment. Nothing fancy." She responded.
"God? We are going to meet God? I'd better get out my Sunday best then!"
Zoë laughed. "Husband, sometimes you worry me."
"I worry myself as well." He said mock seriously, while beckoning her over to him. "You should make sure I behave myself. Starting right now."
Zoë grinned and slid into her husband's lap.
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Two days in the black had passed without incident. That is until a muted pop and a slight vibration that was felt throughout the ship. Mal rushed to the engine room just in time to see Kaylee put out a small fire. "What the hell was that?!"
"Everything's… not so shiny Cap. Power Coupling blew."
"Kaylee. I don't want to be cold. Can you fix it?"
Kaylee sighed. "Nope. But you won't have ta worry 'bout bein' cold. It's gonna get mighty hot in here soon. It was for the temperature regulator."
Mal swore softly. "Are we gonna burn up and die, Little Kaylee?"
"No Cap, but the whole ship is gonna be 'bout ninety or ninety-five degrees constant."
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Jayne hung from his pull-up bar, sweat dripping off him. Once the girls had started wearing less Book went and hid in his room, not wanting to think un-Shepardly thoughts. So absorbed in his work out that he didn't see the three remaining females in Serenity enter the hold and look down.
Zoë held her arms out, stopping Kaylee and River from coming into the hold. She motioned to them quickly to be silent and then allowed them to come in. She pointed down.
"Gorram…" Kaylee whispered softly, taking in Jayne's shirtless, cargo shorts wearing form.
Zoë grinned in approval. "He is sure easy to look at isn't he?" she asked in a low tone.
"Beautiful." River agreed. "Scars are almost like art."
The three continued the silent vigil while Jayne dropped down and started dancing around a heavy bag he had hung up, throwing punches, sweat flying off him with each crushing hit. The Merc grinned at himself. He knew they had come in. Coulda smelt the engine grease from a mile away.
River jerked suddenly. "He knows…" she breathed.
Zoë looked up in surprise. "What?"
"He knows we are here. The boy's skills as a tracker and his sensory organs are… amazing." She spoke slowly.
Kaylee stifled a giggle. "That ain't no boy, River. That's all man from where I'm standing."
River looked up, tingles shooting through her slight frame. "Man…" her eyes lit up. "Woman!" she cried out and rushed from the room.
Zoë and Kaylee looked out the hatch River disappeared into then back down at Jayne. He was looking up a quizzical expression on his face, which changed into a roguish grin. "We gonna stare at each other all day or get to some dirty sexin'?!"
Zoë actually laughed, while Kaylee blushed and giggled. "You'll never change, Jayne Cobb!" The mechanic said before turning with Zoë to exit.
The Merc grinned and started to beat on the bag some more. He didn't however notice when the First Mate sunck back in and took a brief capture. Inara will like this...
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A/N: Whew. I'm gonna confess now. I'm not real sure how to write Book. So… I needed an excuse to leave him alone for this chapter. Sorry!
