As Serenity settled onto it's docking clamps and the cargo bay door opened, Richard Castle stood and drank in the sights, sounds and smells of a new world. Zoe came up to him and nodded, and they descended the ramp, followed by Jayne and River.
Kaylee, manning the controls for the door, her face beaming and eyes twinkling, called after them, "Good luck!" before closing it again. Her face fell slightly when the others were out of sight.
"They can do this, right?" Kaylee asked Simon.
Taking her in his arms, he said. "Castle spoke to me about his daughter. She was kidnapped once, you know, and he said there aren't many rules that matter when it comes to protecting your loved ones. He'll do what's needed to get Mal and Kate back. They'll be fine."
As they stepped off the ramp, Castle's head swivelled to-and-fro, a wide grin on his face. "Sweet!" he said. "This is like something out of Blade Runner."
It was evening but the surroundings were well lit by street lamps, signs, and offices. The city was crowded, packed with buildings large and small, and throngs of people coming and going. Some buildings were constructed in the style of Chinese pagodas, others were straightforward skyscrapers, and still others were a hybrid. There were overhead power lines, to Castle's surprise. Chinese lanterns were strung over some of the streets. Signs were garish, brightly lit, and mostly in Mandarin.
A sound drew Castle's gaze upwards and his mouth gaped. "A flying car!" he said. "Look, a flying car."
"You're supposed to be blendin' in," Zoe whispered. "You're supposed to be Mal, remember?"
"Right," said Castle, as he touched the lapels of his coat. "Ain't no call to be gawking at any gorram flying car."
"Yup," said Jayne, "this is gonna go real well."
While Jayne and River took the road directly ahead, Zoe led Castle along a narrow walkway to the left through a throng of hawkers and buyers. The air was rich with the smell of spices, animals, and sweat. After a few minutes, Castle tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to wait.
But before he could explain, a public address system announced, "Would the doctor who arrived at gate 14 please return to security."
Ahead of them, a tall, gawky man in a long frock coat and bow tie spun about.
"What?" he said. "That shouldn't have happened."
With a severe frown on his face the man marched back the way he'd come and came to a stop in front of Castle. Jutting his face inches from Castle's, he repeated, "It shouldn't have happened!"
"Right," said, Castle, backing up slightly. "It shouldn't have happened."
With a "humph", the man turned and continued on his way.
"You know him?" Zoe asked.
"Are you kidding?" said Castle. "Anyway, I just want to pop into this store for a moment."
"We ain't got time..." Zoe began, but Castle had already gone."... to go shoppin' for souvenirs."
When he emerged a few minutes later, Castle speeded towards Zoe and suggested they hurry along.
"We'll catch a transport over there," Zoe said, pointing. "Shouldn't take long to get to the minister's residence."
"Then we wait for Weasel to make his move," said Castle.
Weasel's safe house was located, to no one's surprise, in the oldest, poorest, and most dangerous part of the city. As they progressed on foot, River and Jayne found that the streets became narrower, darker, and more deserted.
At one point they were accosted by a gang of a half dozen teens armed with knives. River and Jayne looked at each other, then River told the youths, "You've just brought knives to a gunfight."
On cue, and with a bored expression on his face, Jayne withdrew his semi-automatic. The gang dispersed.
Smiling, River said, "Scattering like leaves on the wind."
"Stow the pretty talk," Jayne said. "We got a ways to go yet."
"You think I'm pretty?" said River.
As Jayne mumbled a series of Mandarin curses, River laughed silently to herself.
Hours later, muscles cramped from kneeling in the bushes, Castle commented, "I never was much into stakeouts."
The minister's home was large but not palatial. Three stories tall, it stood on a two-acre lot on the outskirts of the city, at the end of a quiet street. The nearest neighbour was half a mile away. Behind the estate and to the far side, the land sloped down sharply to a treed valley several tens of feet below.
Aside from the stars and the partially visible cortex moon, the only light was from a few windows and the small lanterns lining the path from the road to the house. The only sound came from the odd insect chirp.
Ignoring Castle's comment, Zoe contacted Jayne. "You in position?" she asked.
"Waitin' on your signal," Jayne replied.
"Stand by," said Zoe, signing off.
"There," said Castle, tapping Zoe's shoulder. "Listen."
Turning their heads to the road, they both heard the hum of a transport approaching. Its lights must have been off, for they heard rather than saw that it came to a stop in front of the house.
"This is it," whispered Zoe.
The lights in the house and along the path suddenly went dark.
"The opening act," Castle whispered back.
The transport opened and figures slipped out and up the path to the house. Castle thought he could make out a dozen or so. They split up, some taking up positions by the front of the house, others moving to the side entrance.
Both teams entered the house simultaneously. This was followed, moments later, by screams and shouts, then silence. Finally, some figures emerged from the front entrance, one of whom was clearly being dragged against his will.
One of the men whistled loudly. In response, a floodlight shone from the vehicle straight up the path, illuminating the group. The man dragging the prisoner stopped, the light making his face clearly visible. He let the prisoner fall to the ground. The others gathered in front of him, several feet away, their backs to the light.
"Weasel?" Castle asked.
Zoe nodded.
"He certainly enjoys the spotlight, doesn't he?" Castle said.
"Let's go," said Zoe, as a signal to both Castle and Jayne.
"Showtime," said Castle, taking a deep breath and raising himself to a crouched position. At Zoe's nod, they split up to move quietly to their respective positions.
"Well," Weasel shouted to his men, "this is the moment we've been waitin' for. A new beginnin'. This time, it's the Alliance what will be on the run. Always lookin' over their shoulder. Never knowin' if they're safe. That sound familiar?"
A chorus of yea's erupted.
"Sure it does," continued Weasel. "It's what we Independents had to suffer. But no more, eh?"
"No more!" the men echoed.
The prisoner, who had been curled up on the ground, gagged, hands and legs bound, was brought to his feet by one of Weasel's men. Weasel took hold of him and the man joined the others as they awaited Weasel's next move.
Weasel took a moment, looking at his men, then back at the minister.
Addressing the minister now, Weasel said, "Now, we're not gonna kill you. Won't even harm a hair on your head. This nice house of yours, though, well, it won't be so lucky. Neither will your family, since they'll be inside when we blow the place the hell up."
At this, the minister started to struggle, causing Weasel to grin wickedly.
"He seems a might upset, boys. Maybe it's time to put him out of his misery. What do you say?"
A chorus of cheers was the answer. But as the cheers died down, there was a sound from somewhere in the dark, and Weasel felt the cold barrel of a pistol pressed against his temple.
Eugene and Serge, two guns-for-hire with bull necks, broad chests, and arms thicker than most men's thighs, stood outside the door of a dilapidated, single story building. The street and sidewalk around them were crumbling ruins. A single, flickering streetlight half a block to the west was the only illumination.
Highly disciplined, they were used to standing guard for long periods. Still they found themselves having to shift their feet more frequently as the evening progressed. And they were bored. So when Eugene spotted the thin girl wearing a long, shapeless dress and army boots, he smiled and elbowed his companion.
"Hey," he said, "check this out."
"Wow," Serge replied. "I'm getting scared already. This should be interesting."
When she got closer, the girl batted her eyes and said, "Hi, can you help me? I'm looking for Malcolm Reynolds. I'm here to rescue him."
The men blinked in surprise. And, when they woke up hours later, they weren't at all certain how it was they had lost consciousness.
Mal and Beckett, still bound to chairs in Weasel's safe house, had been silent for a time when Beckett said, "Well, if we're going to be stuck here any longer, at least we should be comfortable. Do you find it hot in here?"
Mal was about to say no, but caught Beckett's eye. "You know, I was just gonna remark on the heat. I feel like ri shao gou shi bing."
"Exactly," said Beckett, without a clue as to what Mal had just said. "Hey you," she said to the guard. "Would you do me a favour and undo a couple of buttons on the front of my dress? The heat is just killing me."
The guards eyes widened a bit, but his face quickly resumed its flat expression. Mal smiled as he began to understand Beckett's plan. As she spoke, he tried to inch his chair closer to hers.
"Oh c'mon," pleaded Beckett. "I feel so hot. Tell you what, undo as many as you like. I don't care. I just need some relief. Please."
The guard's hands twitched for a moment as he struggled with himself until, finally, he gave in and moved in front of Beckett.
Beckett closed her eyes, tilted her head up, and smiled as sensuously as she could manage. When she felt the guard undo the first button, she said, "Oh yes. Please, don't stop."
Another button. Beckett murmured an encouraging sound.
The guards hand wandered a bit as he found his way to the third button. Beckett gasped slightly and bit her lower lip.
When the guard opened the button, Beckett's eyes popped open and she dealt the guard a severe headbutt.
He staggered back. Mal was able to tilt his chair enough so he could butt him back towards Beckett, who in turn gave him a hefty headbutt to the midsection. The guard went down, gasping for air. Mal tilted his chair to the side and landed on top of the guard's chest. Maneuvering his body to the left, Mal delivered one more headbutt and the guard was out.
The fall having loosened the arm of Mal's chair, he was able to wrench one arm free and then untie himself and Beckett.
"Hundreds of years, and men haven't changed a bit," Beckett lamented as she stood and refastened her buttons.
"We are a might predictable at that," admitted Mal as he scooped up the guards pistol.
Kate stood to the left of the door as Mal reached for the knob.
"Ready?" asked Mal.
Kate nodded. But just then, the door seemed to explode, pushing Mal backwards onto the floor. Jayne and River poured into the room and stopped.
Noticing Beckett to the right and Mal down on the floor, Jayne said, "You OK, Mal?"
"Been better," Mal said, wiping the blood from his lip as he got to his feet.
"We've got to get to Weasel and stop him," said Mal.
"You already are," said River.
"Well, look at this," said Castle, his right arm extended, holding a pistol to Weasel's head. "Appears we got here just in the nick of time. What does that make us, Zoe?"
"Big damn heroes, sir," said Zoe, stepping out of the darkness. She moved between Castle and the other men, her gun pointed in their direction.
"Ain't we just!" said Castle.
"Mal?" said Weasel, his eyes popping wide open. Letting go of the minister, he added, "How'd you… I mean, what's this 'bout, Mal?"
Weasel's eyes shifted from Castle for a moment, then back again. Castle steadied himself, then twisted, his elbow connecting with the midsection of the man trying to sneak up on him. As he doubled over, Castle delivered a swift kick to the groin that dispatched him completely. The man fell over on the ground, groaning.
"I believe you all know me," Castle said, addressing Weasel's men. "Name's Malcolm Reynolds. Fought with the Independents, like you. Lost many good friends and comrades through the war, right up to Serenity Valley."
Keeping his gun pressed against Weasel's skull, Castle continued. "Now seems to me that you've been workin' under a misapprehension. You've been led to believe that I support what you're doin'. That I'm behind it 100%. That ain't exactly the truth. And when I told my good friend Weasel so, he took me captive, was going to kill me. Make it look like the work of the Alliance."
"That ain't so!" Weasel blurted out. "He's lyin'."
Castle pressed the pistol against Weasel more firmly. "You want to think real careful 'bout what words come out of that mouth next. Anything other than the truth, they'll be your last."
Weasel's men were shuffling about, looking at each other questioningly.
"This true, Weasel?" one of them asked.
Another asked, "What's this about, Sarge? We gotta fight for what's right. Don't we?"
"And this is right?" Castle said. "Murdering a family in cold blood? We're defined by our choices, all of us. Is this our choice? Is this who we are?"
After giving them a moment to think about this, Castle continued. "I know a thing or two about history, going way back to Earth-That-Was. Back then, some people fought like you're about to, killing civilians to make a point. But what came of that? Revenge. Then more revenge.
"You do this, what do you think the Alliance will do? What would you do? They'll come after us. Kill not just one family but a whole town. Then we strike back, then them, and it never ends. Hate building on hate until no one remembers what they're fightin' for. All they know is the hate."
After another pause, Castle said, "None of us likes the Alliance. Just want to be left on our own is all. So how do we fight? How do we make things better? It's real simple if you think about it. You don't tear things down. You build them up. A brick at a time. Make your loved ones lives better, any way you can, any small way.
"Sure, the Alliance puts a gun to our head, we fight. We fight hard. But we don't go lookin' for a fight. We already did that, and we lost. That war's done, and most folk have had their fill for one lifetime.
"But here's the bottom line. You still want to do this, you have to kill me'n Zoe too, 'cause we say this is wrong, and we'll die if we have to, to stop you."
Weasel, veins popping out of his face, was near apoplectic. When his men started to shuffle away into the darkness, he screamed. "Wait!" he called out, no longer caring if Mal shot him. "We gotta do this, gotta teach the Alliance a lesson. Pay them back. We gotta pay them back!"
In a few moments, they were gone, leaving Mal, Zoe, Weasel and the minister.
Training her gun on Weasel, Zoe said, "I got him."
Castle went to the minister, knelt down, and cut his bonds with his pocketknife, the same one with which he'd freed Beckett an age ago.
As he helped the man to his feet, Castle stepped back, then froze, looking like he'd seen a ghost.
The minister didn't seem to notice. "Mr. Reynolds? Thank you. Thank you for saving my family." He shook Castle's hand furiously. Castle, his eyes still wide, simply nodded.
"I owe you a debt. My whole family does. I'll never forget this."
"We're going to tie up Weasel here and leave him with you," Zoe said. "You gonna call the authorities?"
The minister looked at Weasel through narrowed eyes. "Oh, I think I can find a department in the Alliance that will be very interested in debriefing our friend. I can assure you, it won't be pleasant."
After Weasel was well-bound, and they were on their way back to Serenity, Zoe checked in with Jayne. "What's your status?" she asked.
"We got 'em," Jayne said. "You?"
"Job's done," Zoe said simply. "See you back at Serenity."
Then, after giving Castle an appraising look, Zoe said, "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Castle, wiping the sweat from his forehead said, "Thanks. But I need to talk to Mal. There's something he's going to want to know."
By the time Castle and Zoe reached Serenity, a wave had arrived from the docking authority to the effect that their permit had been extended indefinitely. There was no need to leave in a hurry.
Mal and the others arrived about an hour later. Beckett and Castle embraced with such passion that the rest of the crew had to turn their heads in embarrassment. All except Jayne, who sat and watched them as he munched on a snack.
When he emerged to take a breath, Castle went to Mal.
"You're not going to kiss me, are you?" Mal asked.
Castle put his hands on Mal's shoulders and said, "Only if you want me to."
After a brief hug, Castle stepped back and said, "This thing we have, this connection, it really came in handy."
"Saved us from a war, I figure," said Mal. "You saved us from a war. I must say, I'm a might proud of my brother."
Grinning, Castle said, "Thanks. You know, the last vision I had, the one that told me about Weasel's plan, it was so vivid. Must be because there was so much at stake. The only problem was it interrupted this great dream about me and Beckett."
Beckett and Mal glanced at each other, then looked at nothing in particular as they shuffled their feet uncomfortably.
Confused as he looked at the two of them, understanding gradually dawned on Castle's face. "No way," he said. "Really? Beckett?"
Castle turned to Inara, whose face was darkening quickly.
"It wasn't Kate's fault," said Mal. "I needed to make sure you got the message. Seemed our visions were triggered by lots of emotion."
"So you kissed my fiancé."
"I assure you," said Mal, "I didn't enjoy it."
"Thanks a lot," said Beckett.
"You know what?" said Mal. "I'm gonna just sit down here and shut up before I get into any more trouble."
"Just as well," said Castle. "I have to tell you something and you'll want to be sitting down."
This caused the rest of the crew to interrupt their conversations and take a seat.
"When all was said and done, I got a good look at the minister. He's the spitting image of the operative who came back to kill Alexis."
Mal was stunned for a moment. "But it wasn't him," Mal said. "Couldn't have been. That operative came from 50 years in our future."
"Then the minister is going to have a son, and he'll become the operative," concluded Castle.
After pondering this, Mal said, "It's possible. I was told that this operative wouldn't try to kill me. This must be why. The son believed I'd saved his family. Except it wasn't me, of course, it was you."
After another pause, Mal continued. "You realize what this means don't you?"
"What?" asked Castle.
"We could stop that from ever happening," suggested Mal.
Now Castle was stunned, as was the whole crew.
Inara recovered first. "Malcolm Reynolds!" she said.
Mal held up his hand. "I'm not sayin' we should do it. I'm sayin' we could do it."
"But we wouldn't. You wouldn't, would you?" said Castle.
"Zoe told me 'bout how you talked Weasel's men down, and how it's our choices that define who we are. My choice is that people matter. They matter more than anything."
Looking in Inara's direction, he concluded, "So no, I wouldn't. Not ever."
After a collective sigh of relief, Mal got to his feet. "Well, I don't know about all you people, but I do believe a celebration is in order."
"Now that's my kind of philosophy," said Jayne. "I'll drink to that."
The following morning, as the crew sluggishly returned to their stations, the Harbour Master contacted Serenity. A number of supply crates were on route to their loading bay, along with a protocol for requesting any additional supplies as required. When the cargo arrived, among the electronics, engine parts, food, and medical supplies, was an unmarked crate.
Curious, Jayne popped the lid off. Kaylee found him a few minutes later, stock still in front of it, transfixed by its contents. When she peered into the crate to see what had so fascinated him, she stepped back and said, "Oh my." It was full of unmarked gold bars. Jayne turned to her and positively leered.
Castle and Beckett were able to make themselves useful in the handling of the cargo. They were back to wearing their normal clothing, thanks to Kaylee's laundering efforts the day before. As they worked, they talked about their respective adventures. Beckett was astonished at the risk Castle had taken.
"That was possibly the stupidest thing you've ever done," Beckett said, "and that's saying something. But it was also the bravest. I'm proud of you, Castle."
"Well, you don't have to worry about me making a habit of this kind of thing," Castle said. "But now that this is over, we have to work out how to get back home."
Beckett set down the crate she'd been carrying and looked at Castle with a sad smile. "I'm not saying we shouldn't try, but I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility we'll never get back."
After the better part of the day, the new inventory was tallied, accounted for, and stored. Mal was stretching his aching muscles when Zoe called him to the bridge. Serenity had received an encrypted wave.
"You're gonna want to see this, sir," Zoe said as Mal approached. "It's just a location. Here on Beaumonde. You've been there before."
It was dusk, the sun setting behind them as Mal and Castle approached the isolated, single story dwelling on the eastern edge of the city. Knowing what he would find within, Mal didn't kick the door in this time. But when he entered, the man seated on the sofa was different. Mal looked at him closely. He was younger, his face less lined, and there was no silver in his hair. Mal sensed an opportunity to throw the operative off guard.
"Captain Reynolds," said the man. "Thank you for joining me. And I see you've brought your brother. Excellent."
"This may be difficult for the Alliance to understand," said Mal, "but most folk don't appreciate being played like puppets."
The man smiled. "I see you've inferred I'm with the Alliance. But there's something perhaps you don't know."
"Actually, I do," Mal interrupted. "You're an operative from the future, a few years shy of fifty."
Mal enjoyed the brief flicker of surprise that passed over the operative's face, before his features once more smoothed into relaxed condescension.
"I see," said the operative. "Then you've met me before, at some time in my future."
"And I'm hopin' this is the last time," said Mal. "Find someone else to do your dirty work next time."
"That, I'm afraid, I cannot promise. Both of your skillsets are quite unique, and very valuable, as I'm sure you were told on our first meeting. In my time, we face a great challenge, one so great that humanity cannot afford to be divided. To that end, we've seeded the timeline with promising clones, including you and your brother, to avoid certain events, and promote the likelihood of others."
"Just a minute," said Castle. "Mal told me that story when we first met. But since then I've found my biological father. I can't be Mal's clone."
The operative smiled that same smile that Mal had learned to hate on their previous meeting. "And yet, you have identical DNA, do you not?"
Mal looked at Castle. Castle nodded. "Simon confirmed it."
"Interesting," said the operative.
"So how do Beckett and I get home?" Castle asked. "Click our heels three times and say, 'There's no place like home'?"
"I'm unfamiliar with that reference," the operative said, pressing his fingers against his sleeve, "but I believe that the end of many things is often found at the beginning."
And with that, the operative vanished.
"Qing wa kao de liu mang!" said Mal.
"Wait a minute," said Castle. "I think I know what he meant."
They were back on Newhall, Mal, Castle and Beckett, in front of the vault where it all began, seemingly an age ago.
"We'll try this," Mal said. "I'll check in a few minutes. If you're still here, we'll have to think of somethin' else."
"This will work," Castle said. "Meanwhile, I left a gift for you in your coat pocket."
Mal patted his pockets and found something. Smiling, he withdrew a book.
"Where did you find this?" Mal said.
"There was a book shop on Beaumonde, on the way to the minister's. I couldn't resist."
"How did you pay for it?" Beckett asked. "Did Zoe give you a shopping allowance?"
Castle scratched the back of his head. "Well, I might have shoplifted it."
Mal grinned broadly. Turning to Beckett, he said, "My brother's goin' down a dark road, it seems. Better keep an eye on him, Kate."
Beckett lightly punched Castle's arm. "It seems I'd better. Due to your influence, no doubt, Mal. Castle, do that back home and I'll have to handcuff you."
"Is that a promise?" Castle asked.
Mal ignored the exchange, looking instead at the first page of his book. "'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'. Well that's a fact."
"It's a classic story of two men who look identical," said Castle. "It seemed appropriate."
Putting the book back in his pocket, Mal said. "I'll look forward to reading it. Now that we got some ready cash on hand, no need for another job right away."
"Well, let's do this and see what happens," said Castle. He reached out and shook hands with Mal. Beckett did likewise.
"I don't know if this is the last time we see each other or not," said Mal, "but just in case, I'm glad we've had at least this much time together. Too bad it only happens when there's a crisis."
"We'll see," said Castle. "Meanwhile, pass along our best to your crew. They're a fine bunch."
"That's the truth of it," said Mal. Looking at Beckett, he added, "Maybe it's time they knew that."
Beckett smiled and entered the vault, taking Castle by the hand. Mal sealed the door behind them and waited.
A few minutes later, when he was starting to think nothing would happen, Mal felt a tremor. Opening the vault again, he smiled to himself when he found it empty.
Castle and Beckett, still holding hands in the darkness of the vault, also felt a lurch.
"Is that it?" Beckett asked. "Do you think we're back?"
"I guess that depends on who opens that door," said Castle.
A few minutes later, they heard the lock mechanism and saw the door open. A figure stood in front of them, shining a light that blinded them.
"Hey, Beckett," Esposito called. "That you in here?"
"It's us," Castle said, guarding his eyes with his arm. "It'd help if you shone that light somewhere else."
"Ah, sorry. Just got your message. How'd you send it, with your phone out here and you in there?"
"What message?" Beckett asked.
"Really?" Esposito asked. "That you were trapped and needed our help. Your phone was lying here on the floor."
"Well, thanks for coming to get us," Beckett said, stepping out of the vault and taking the phone from Esposito. "What time is it? What day?"
"What day? Are you OK? It's Tuesday, 10 AM. How'd you end up in there, anyway?"
Beckett and Castle looked at each other.
"It's only been half an hour," Beckett whispered to Castle.
Castle nodded. "Well," he said, looking at Esposito, "would you believe we were kidnapped by men from outer space?"
Esposito regarded Castle with his best poker face. "Nope," he said, then turned around and called to Ryan.
"Found them," Esposito said. "Unharmed. Mostly."
When Mal returned to Serenity's cockpit, Zoe was seated in the co-pilot chair, clipboard in hand, checking flight system status.
"See them off?" she asked.
"They're gone," said Mal. "Back home, I trust."
Zoe regarded Mal. "You didn't get to spend a lot of time together."
"No," said Mal. "Still, to have family, somewhere, sometime in the 'verse, when you thought you had none, well that's quite a gift."
"It is at that," Zoe said, setting the clipboard down.
Leaning towards Zoe, Mal said, "Speaking of gifts, may I?" As he spoke, he reached his hand toward her belly.
Zoe, eyes wide with surprise, nodded.
Mal placed his hand on her belly. Zoe's eyes opened still wider and her mouth opened when she saw Mal's eyes tearing up.
With a sniff, Mal said, "A fine gift Wash left for you. The finest gift there is." Taking his hand away and looking directly at Zoe, he added, "And I miss him. Miss him so much. What a fine man was your husband."
Zoe, choked up herself, was nearly speechless. Finally she managed to say, "I miss him too. Very much."
Mal turned, realizing that someone else was in the cockpit. And there was Inara, her eyes wide with surprise and shock. Then a warm smile lit her face and she glowed like the sun. Stepping forward and taking Mal's hand, she said, "Malcolm Reynolds. I do believe there's hope for you yet."
Acknowledgements
1. "Hi, can you help me?" she said. "I'm looking for Malcolm Reynolds. I'm here to rescue him." River and Jayne used this strategy to rescue Mal in my story, "Rayne on Me".
2. "Well look at this... Ain't we just." Obviously borrowed from Firefly: "Safe". Zoe likely recalled this exchange and suggested it as a means for Castle to establish himself in Mal's character.