Mal, Zoe, Jayne and Wash step out into the brilliant sunlight of Greenleaf. They stand and blink for a second their eyes adjusting to the sudden change of light. Through the open door of the shop, Kaylee, River and Simon are picking out new clothes. Mal smiles and turns to Wash, he looks very pleased.
"You know, you did real good, that Rem, well She's quite the little business lady." he claps Wash on the shoulder still beaming.
"Yeah, thanks, Mal," Wash pauses, "The jobs pretty dangerous all the same, Mal."
"Life was getting boring, and the pay is too good to pass up on." Mal folds his arms looking wistful.
"Yeah, 'cause getting shot at makes life less boring." Wash mutters under his breath.
Jayne looks puzzled, his eyebrows tightly furrowed.
"Makes y'kinda think where she got all that coin from in the first place." he muses.
"Do you mind?" Wash glares up at Jayne.
He pulls himself up to his full height and Jayne does the same glaring right back, there is quite a height difference and a definite difference in build.
"It might be stolen. Or marked by the Alliance." Jayne growls and spits on the ground.
"And maybe your pushing this too damn far." Wash takes a step forward.
They stare at each other in a Mexican-stand off way. Mal and Zoe stand back, shocked at Wash's defensiveness. It's a side they don't often see. Zoe steps forward and puts a calming hand on Wash's arm, but he doesn't take his eyes off Jayne.
"Honey, this isn't the time, or the place. You start fightin' and we'll have the Alliance on us in a second." Wash blinks as if stepping out of a trance and looks at Zoe.
He deflates a little as he looks at Zoe. He begins to walk away.
"Mal, I'll go fuel Serenity. She'll be ready to go within the hour." he yells as he strides away. He disappears into the crowd, throwing a last look at Jayne.
Jayne calms down and glances at Zoe.
"Ah come on, you was thinking the same!" he shrugs smiling a little.
Zoe looks coldly at him. Mal steps towards her, staring at Jayne.
"Actually, judging by what she's wearing, I recon she could 'ford this job three or four times over." Zoe looks at the captain, taking in his comment.
"You having second thoughts, sir?" she asks worriedly.
Mal ponders this for a moment.
"No, I recon this Rem is the real deal. And she an old friend of Wash, so I got no quarrel with her or her money. Hell if she was with the Alliance she would have called them already. Simon and Rivers faces and descriptions are all over the Cortex. She'd get a pretty penny for turnin' those two in, but you'd know all 'bout that Jayne." Mal stops and looks up at Jayne, whose face is pulled into a sour look.
Without another word he too disappears into the crowd. Zoe smiles at Mal.
"Glad we're on the same wavelength, Sir."
Simon is stood in front of a full length mirror in Rems shop. He's checking himself out from every angle. He's dressed in a pair of slightly shabby pale trousers and a dark red button up shirt. Its blatantly obvious he hasn't picked this outfit out himself. Kaylee studies him over Rivers shoulders she helps her with a deep blue, silk sari. River twirls around a little, letting the sari billow out a little. Kaylee throws the rest of the sari over Rivers shoulder and smiles.
"You look like a perfect little doll!" she exclaims, clapping her hands together.
River picks up her melon looking pleases at her new clothing. Simon stops looking at himself from every angle and stands still looking displeased.
"Kaylee, why did you pick this out for me? I look like a clone of the captain," Simon frowns pulling at the shirt, "A very poor clone." he adds under his breath.
Kaylee picks up the cute shirt she's decided on and moves next to Simon holding it up to herself and turning to the side.
"If you're gonna go dirtside on a moon like this then you're gonna have to dress less…you." she smiles at him nervously.
"Less me?" Simon asks puzzled.
Kaylee turns away from him and bites her lip, she turns back having chosen carefully what she wants to say.
"Compared to the rest of the crew, 'part from 'Nara…" Kaylee pauses, she looks sadly up at Simon, she misses Inara, "You stick out like a sore thumb."
Simon studies Kaylee for a second and then turns back to the mirror. Kaylee moves off to look at other shirts.
"I guess, but Kaylee," she turns, smiling, "Let me pick next time."
Kaylee nods and pulls out another shirt.
The bridge of Serenity is drenched in bright sunlight streaming through the windows illuminating the usually darkened room. Wash is sat in the pilot seat with his feet up on the console. He sits quietly in the empty ship, looking out of the window, thinking. He sighs and begins to flick switches, checking the systems. He stops midway through his sudden flurry of movement and sits back again, once more lost in thought. He picks his favourite T-Rex up off the scanner and puts his feet back up, hugging the dinosaur tightly like it's a cuddly kitten. So lost in thought, he doesn't hear Rem enter the bridge, looking around at the controls in silent admiration. Her eyes settle on Wash and she smiles to herself, shaking her head.
"You still playing with your dinosaurs?"
Wash jumps and slips forward off his pilots chair and onto the floor. The dinosaur he's holding flies into the air.
"Wuh duh ma! You frightened the life out of me!" Wash struggles up and back into his chair wiping the sweat off his embarrassed, red face.
Rem laughs and picks up the dinosaur and gives it a hug.
"Hello Brutus, how are you?" she asks the dinosaur.
She gives it a last hug and puts it back on the scanner and pats it on the head. She sinks into the pilot seat, throwing her coat over the back of it. She stares out into the sunlight sky.
"So tell me Wash, really… how've you been?" she jerks her head towards Wash, looking at him lopsidedly.
Wash smiles and enthusiastically resettles herself in his seat so he can see Rem better through the beams of sunlight.
"Seriously? I've been great!" he smiles to himself, folding his hands in his lap.
Rem smiles but doesn't look back at him.
"Good I'm glad," she replies a little hollowly, "I've missed you Washie, its not been the same without you. After the war I though you were dead, then outta the black here you are! Piloting a Firefly and MARRIED! Tell me, how exactly did you manage to find me to Wave me?"
Rem glances sideways at Wash.
"I got contacts… Universe put me on to you," Wash grins broadly, "And its good to see you too, I missed you too."
Rem looks down at her hands and takes a deep breath. She bites her lip longing to say something. She can't help getting a little angry.
"Then why didn't you Wave me then?" she balls her hands into fists.
Wash is shocked by the sudden change of tone.
"I… my… I got a bit… swept away. I'm a bit out of touch with everything, everyone." he tries to explain.
"For six years," Rem ask snappily, "Six gorramn years Hoben! I waited for you on that ee da tuo da bien moon for you! I waited all those years, you said you'd come back for me, you promised that you'd never leave me behind." she leans forward and slams her hands on the console, tears running down her face.
She closes her eyes and looks back at Wash who looks shocked and slightly scared by her outburst.
"And then you roll up after all these years, you got yourself a ship and a wife… and I got left with nothing… again." Rem slumps as she finishes and cries softly.
Wash gets up and cautiously hugs Rem, crouching down to her height. She calms down and wipes her eyes. Wash looks at her guiltily
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't have stayed and Zoe and me sorta, just happened. I was looking for a ship and I found love as well." he explains.
Rem nods a lot calmer now and she breaths deeply. She doesn't meet Wash's eyes.
"I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm happy for you I really, truly am. I should let go of the past." she smiles and glances at Wash who sighs and smiles back, jumping up.
"Thanks. And I want you to know I would have come beck for you, but it was… complicated." he puts his hand on Rem's shoulder looking guilty.
Rem clasps Wash's hand in hers and jumps up too.
"Well we can spend time together now and you can tell me everything that's happened to you after the past six years, have a proper catch up." she says excitedly, however her eyes are still dark and lonely.
Wash lets go of Rem's hands and begins to flick switches. Serenity's engines and lights spark into life with a loud whine. Wash continues to prep the engines, warming them up before the rest of the crew return to the ship. He looks over his shoulder at Rem.
"I want to hear what happened to you. You graduate flight school okay?" he asks looking at the scanner.
Rem laughs and rolls her eyes, laughing.
"How'd you think I get here in the first place? But… I sorta crashed and got stuck here 'bout 8 months back. Couldn't get hold of a new ship so I decided to try and settle down, I missed messing up the Alliances plans though." she smiles and sits back in the co-pilots seat.
Rem and Wash wander down the stairs that descends to the cargo room floor. Mal and Zoe walk up the ramp and through the open cargo doors, they're talking animatedly and as they spot Rem and Wash they stop, smiling and watching them descend the stairs. Mal and Zoe catch the end of their conversation.
"-Couldn't move for gorramn weeks!" Rem laughs loudly.
Wash roars laughing and nearly trips down the stairs. Rem deftly holds his arm stopping him from falling down the final few steps. Wash embarrassedly straightens up and walks towards Zoe planting a kiss on her cheek. He rubs the back of his neck embarrassedly, his face bright red, Mal smirks at Zoe.
"Hey honey! Got everything sorted dirtside?" Wash asks trying to hide his embarrassment.
"Kaylee and Simon have sorted out supplies, dear." Zoe replies laying a hand on Washs chest.
Right on time Kaylee and Simon walk up the ramp followed by a very happy looking River who has the watermelon tucked under her arm. She swings a pretty red umbrella painted with cherry blossom round in her hand. She opens it with one hand with flourish and swings it onto her shoulder like an elegant Victorian lady. She twirls round and curtsies to Mal who smiles and gives her a short bow back. With a flurry of movement, the umbrella is folded away quickly and River runs off laughing. Mal shakes his head and looks up at Kaylee.
"You get everything we need?" he asks.
"And more!" Kaylee smiles brightly and winks at River who is stood in the door to the common area.
River smiles and dashes down the stairs, disappearing into the ship. Mal looks very confused by the girls exchange and looks sidelong at Kaylee.
"Wha-What was that all about?" he asks uncertainly.
"Never mind Captain! Oh Zoe," Kaylee brightens, "I got those packages for you!" She smiles at Wash who looks excitedly between the two women.
"Oh packages? Packages sound good! Zoe whats-" Zoe holds up a hand cutting of the barrage of Washs questions.
"Calm down, if you're lucky you might find out later." she smiles at Kaylee.
"Yeah, uh huh later sounds… great!" Wash says practically bouncing up and down in excitement.
Mal sighs and turns to Wash, glancing at Rem as he does so.
"Wash, lets get this boat in the air." Mal walks towards the common area, he suddenly pauses and looks around.
"Hang on where the hell is Jayne to?" he asks.
Wash stops, his foot hovering above the next step up the stairs to the bridge.
"Juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean jan. Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze. Jing-tzahng mei me yon duh!" he rants, putting his feet down heavily filling the cargo hold with the clang of boots on metal.
He hit's a switch on the way through to the bridge. The ramp begins to lift slowly and the cargo doors begin to close.
Just in time, Jayne jumps onto the ramp and stomps into the cargo hold the doors shutting behind him. He's still in a foul mood. As he stomps towards the common area, Mal glares at him. "You late again, we leave you behind." Mal yells as he passes.
"Ohur ni-duh!" Jayne snaps storming past Mal angrily.
Mal watches him go, hands on his hips, hard faced. Rem steps forward and tentively licks her lips.
"Why do I have an awful feeling that was something to do with me, Captain?" she asks nervously.
Mal shakes his head dismissively and turns to her.
"Fahng-sheen. Everything's shiny. Jayne's just sore that he had a bit of the truth put his way. Recon it stings him some." Mal goes to step through the doorway.
"I'm sorry Captain," she bows to him and them to Zoe "I have just received a Wave as to where you will have to plot course to," Mal looks blankly at Rem and Zoe rolls her eyes, "You did say you were willing to meet the rest of my conspirators, Captain Reynolds. And we're going to need to get the drop point co-ordinates from them. It would be dangerous to transmit them over the Cortex."
Rem looks down at her intertwined fingers and looks up at Mal. Mal closes his eyes and sighs.
"That's fine! I tell Wash-"
Rem cuts across him before he gets the chance to finish his sentence.
"I took the liberty." she smiles.
Mal nods and Rem gives him a little bow and moves off towards the passenger deck. Mal hit's the comm.
"Wash get us to the co-ordinates fast as you can. Kaylee, get Serenity ready for Full Burn if we need it."
Serenity's engines whine loudly as she hovers above the ground. Her engines rotate lifting her skywards. She lifts her nose up and blasts towards atmo, leaving a cloud of pale dust swirling in her wake.
