ACT FOUR
INT – SERENITY – BRIDGE
Mal sits in the pilot's chair. He stares into the black absently. Zoe walks up and remains in the doorway. She is still wrapped in a rough gray blanket. Mal, sensing her presence, turns around. He stands and starts to speak, but he stops when he realizes something is wrong. They walk toward each other.
INTERCUT WITH:
INT – SERENITY – PASSENGER DORMS
Ayo exits the shower area in a long white silk robe. Jaha follows in a small terry cloth robe. They walk toward their room. Ayo hears footsteps behind them. She turns around and pushes the child behind her. Jayne emerges from the shadows. He is unusually clean and holds a small cloth sack in his hand. Ayo opens the door and allows Jaha to enter. She closes the door and faces Jayne again.
AYO: Do you need something?
Jayne steps forward. Ayo presses her back against the wall.
JAYNE: I ain't got much, but I think its enough for a little time.
AYO: I don't understand.
He steps closer.
CUT TO:
INT – SERENITY – BRIDGE
Mal and Zoe stand close, facing each other in the middle of the bridge. Her face and hair still glisten with sweat. Mal brushes the hair out of her face. He understands. He knows exactly which memory she has relived and it is not the first time.
MAL: Your hair was wet. It was stupid but I just kept thinking about how cold you must be. I just wanted to grab you, stop you from shivering.
He steps closer to her. She looks up at him. Her eyes are full. Mal cautiously puts his arms around Zoe. She leans her forehead lightly on his shoulder.
MAL (CON'T): Zoe, I—
Zoe pushes Mal away and glances over to the door. He walks to the door and locks it. She removes the blanket from around her shoulders. She still wears the sport bra and bandages around her ribs. Mal walks back to her and touches the bandages. Her hand covers his. Her eyes meet his and their lips soon follow. No one in particular initiates the kiss, equal involvement. They are not at all awkward. Their kisses and touches are very familiar, well rehearsed. Mal rubs her cheek as he draws her closer and deepens the kiss.
CUT TO:
INT- SERENITY – PASSENGER DORMS
Jayne tries to gently touch Ayo on the shoulder, but with his girth it comes across as more of a push. She removes his hand and tries to go inside her room.
JAYNE: Now don't be like that. I was gon pay you up front.
Jayne grabs her shoulder and turns her back around. Ayo reaches in her pocket and pulls out a palm sized tazer and conceals it in her hand. Jayne steps closer to Ayo. She has her back pressed against the door to her room. Jayne leans in for a kiss, but stops short of her lips. He slowly falls to the floor clutching his groin. The bag of coins he holds spills all over the floor. Ayo stands frozen in the doorway tazer in hand. Jayne writhes on the floor coughing, spitting, and cursing.
JAYNE: Gorram whore! Whatcha do that for!
Book comes running out of his room and toward the commotion.
BOOK: What's going on?
Book sees Jayne lying on the floor and runs over to him.
BOOK: What happened?
JAYNE: Gorram whore!
Book looks in Ayo's direction. She is still standing in her doorway. Book gets up and walks toward her. She sees him coming and quickly opens her door and locks herself in her room. Simon runs down the hall from the direction of the infirmary. He kneels by Jayne and begins to assess his injuries. Book knocks on Ayo's door.
SIMON: Where are you hurt?
JAYNE: (almost in tears) She zapped my John Thomas.
Book notices the money scattered on the floor. He gives Jayne a disapproving look.
BOOK: What exactly happened here?
JAYNE: I was talking to her and she snapped and zapped me.
BOOK: Maybe I should call the captain.
Simon nods in agreement. Book takes off toward the infirmary.
SIMON: Can you stand?
JAYNE: (whimpering) I can't move my legs doc. You can fix that can't you?
Simon takes an ink pen sized thing out of his pocket. He uncaps it to reveal a needle point. He sticks it in Jayne's leg. Jayne howls and jumps to his feet He cowers in a corner still clutching himself.
SIMON: All fixed.
CUT TO:
INT- SERENITY – BRIDGE
Mal and Zoe are standing in front of the console staring out at the black. He stands behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. His fingertips are slowly working their way down the front of her pants. She sighs.
ZOE: Mal.
He moves his mouth teasingly close to her ear.
MAL: You want me to stop?
He kisses her ear and makes a small trail of kisses down the side of her neck. This elicits a barely audible noise from Zoe. The intercom buzzes.
BOOK (O.S.): Captain?
Mal extracts himself from Zoe and goes over to the intercom. He pushes a button.
MAL: Preacher what in nine hells are you doing up at this time of night?
BOOK: I believe we have a situation in the passenger cell.
Zoe walks over to Mal.
MAL: What?
BOOK: Well it seems that Jayne was speaking with Ayo and—
MAL: Tamade! Hwo dan! I'll be right there.
Mal ends the transmission.
MAL: One day with things smooth. Is that too much to ask?
ZOE: Apparently.
He removes his shirt and hands it Zoe who immediately puts it on. They leave the bridge in a hurry.
INT – SERENITY- PASSENGER DORMS
Book comes running back down the hall. Jayne sits in a chair across from Ayo's room.
BOOK: Captain's on his way.
Book goes over to Ayo's door.
BOOK: It's Shepard Book. Can you open the door?
She does not answer. Mal and Zoe can be heard coming down the metal stairs and running toward them. Mal stops in front of Simon and Jayne. Zoe continues on to Ayo's room.
MAL: What the hell happened?
Simon shrugs. Zoe looks at Book.
BOOK: She locked herself in.
Zoe knocks on the door.
ZOE: It's Zoe mei mei.
The door unlocks. Ayo opens the door and lets Zoe in. Mal stands in front of Jayne with his arms crossed. He kicks the chair.
JAYNE: What Mal?
MAL: What the hell happened!
JAYNE: You said she was a whore!
Book looks at the captain in shock. Mal shakes his head in disgust.
MAL: That's not what I said. Well it was, but it wasn't what I meant.
Mal looks at Simon and Book.
MAL: Is it my fault he didn't understand?
Simon and Book look away.
MAL: Hell, I didn't make him stupid.
BOOK: What did you do son?
JAYNE: Hey I didn't do nothing wrong Preacher. She seemed like she was all for it. She even sent the kid into the room while we talked.
SIMON: Wait a minute. You propositioned her for sex in front of her child?
JAYNE: Yeah.
Collective groan.
JAYNE: What?
MAL: Hwo dan [Jerk]. You don't go asking a woman for a la—-
Before Mal can finish a Zoe-shaped blur pushes past him. Simon, Book, and Mal stare in shock as Zoe sends Jayne flying to the floor with an elbow and fist to the face. He lands at Simon's feet. Simon scrambles away from the violence very nearly avoiding the flying fists of Zoe.
MAL: Zoe!
Zoe gets off Jayne and walks toward the stairs without looking back at anyone. Mal follows her. Jayne sits up holding his face.
JAYNE: What was that for!
Simon and Book turn and walk to their rooms without saying a word.
INT – SERENITY – BRIDGE
Mal sits in the pilot's chair. He stares into the black absently. Zoe walks up and remains in the doorway. She is still wrapped in a rough gray blanket. Mal, sensing her presence, turns around. He stands and starts to speak, but he stops when he realizes something is wrong. They walk toward each other.
INTERCUT WITH:
INT – SERENITY – PASSENGER DORMS
Ayo exits the shower area in a long white silk robe. Jaha follows in a small terry cloth robe. They walk toward their room. Ayo hears footsteps behind them. She turns around and pushes the child behind her. Jayne emerges from the shadows. He is unusually clean and holds a small cloth sack in his hand. Ayo opens the door and allows Jaha to enter. She closes the door and faces Jayne again.
AYO: Do you need something?
Jayne steps forward. Ayo presses her back against the wall.
JAYNE: I ain't got much, but I think its enough for a little time.
AYO: I don't understand.
He steps closer.
CUT TO:
INT – SERENITY – BRIDGE
Mal and Zoe stand close, facing each other in the middle of the bridge. Her face and hair still glisten with sweat. Mal brushes the hair out of her face. He understands. He knows exactly which memory she has relived and it is not the first time.
MAL: Your hair was wet. It was stupid but I just kept thinking about how cold you must be. I just wanted to grab you, stop you from shivering.
He steps closer to her. She looks up at him. Her eyes are full. Mal cautiously puts his arms around Zoe. She leans her forehead lightly on his shoulder.
MAL (CON'T): Zoe, I—
Zoe pushes Mal away and glances over to the door. He walks to the door and locks it. She removes the blanket from around her shoulders. She still wears the sport bra and bandages around her ribs. Mal walks back to her and touches the bandages. Her hand covers his. Her eyes meet his and their lips soon follow. No one in particular initiates the kiss, equal involvement. They are not at all awkward. Their kisses and touches are very familiar, well rehearsed. Mal rubs her cheek as he draws her closer and deepens the kiss.
CUT TO:
INT- SERENITY – PASSENGER DORMS
Jayne tries to gently touch Ayo on the shoulder, but with his girth it comes across as more of a push. She removes his hand and tries to go inside her room.
JAYNE: Now don't be like that. I was gon pay you up front.
Jayne grabs her shoulder and turns her back around. Ayo reaches in her pocket and pulls out a palm sized tazer and conceals it in her hand. Jayne steps closer to Ayo. She has her back pressed against the door to her room. Jayne leans in for a kiss, but stops short of her lips. He slowly falls to the floor clutching his groin. The bag of coins he holds spills all over the floor. Ayo stands frozen in the doorway tazer in hand. Jayne writhes on the floor coughing, spitting, and cursing.
JAYNE: Gorram whore! Whatcha do that for!
Book comes running out of his room and toward the commotion.
BOOK: What's going on?
Book sees Jayne lying on the floor and runs over to him.
BOOK: What happened?
JAYNE: Gorram whore!
Book looks in Ayo's direction. She is still standing in her doorway. Book gets up and walks toward her. She sees him coming and quickly opens her door and locks herself in her room. Simon runs down the hall from the direction of the infirmary. He kneels by Jayne and begins to assess his injuries. Book knocks on Ayo's door.
SIMON: Where are you hurt?
JAYNE: (almost in tears) She zapped my John Thomas.
Book notices the money scattered on the floor. He gives Jayne a disapproving look.
BOOK: What exactly happened here?
JAYNE: I was talking to her and she snapped and zapped me.
BOOK: Maybe I should call the captain.
Simon nods in agreement. Book takes off toward the infirmary.
SIMON: Can you stand?
JAYNE: (whimpering) I can't move my legs doc. You can fix that can't you?
Simon takes an ink pen sized thing out of his pocket. He uncaps it to reveal a needle point. He sticks it in Jayne's leg. Jayne howls and jumps to his feet He cowers in a corner still clutching himself.
SIMON: All fixed.
CUT TO:
INT- SERENITY – BRIDGE
Mal and Zoe are standing in front of the console staring out at the black. He stands behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. His fingertips are slowly working their way down the front of her pants. She sighs.
ZOE: Mal.
He moves his mouth teasingly close to her ear.
MAL: You want me to stop?
He kisses her ear and makes a small trail of kisses down the side of her neck. This elicits a barely audible noise from Zoe. The intercom buzzes.
BOOK (O.S.): Captain?
Mal extracts himself from Zoe and goes over to the intercom. He pushes a button.
MAL: Preacher what in nine hells are you doing up at this time of night?
BOOK: I believe we have a situation in the passenger cell.
Zoe walks over to Mal.
MAL: What?
BOOK: Well it seems that Jayne was speaking with Ayo and—
MAL: Tamade! Hwo dan! I'll be right there.
Mal ends the transmission.
MAL: One day with things smooth. Is that too much to ask?
ZOE: Apparently.
He removes his shirt and hands it Zoe who immediately puts it on. They leave the bridge in a hurry.
INT – SERENITY- PASSENGER DORMS
Book comes running back down the hall. Jayne sits in a chair across from Ayo's room.
BOOK: Captain's on his way.
Book goes over to Ayo's door.
BOOK: It's Shepard Book. Can you open the door?
She does not answer. Mal and Zoe can be heard coming down the metal stairs and running toward them. Mal stops in front of Simon and Jayne. Zoe continues on to Ayo's room.
MAL: What the hell happened?
Simon shrugs. Zoe looks at Book.
BOOK: She locked herself in.
Zoe knocks on the door.
ZOE: It's Zoe mei mei.
The door unlocks. Ayo opens the door and lets Zoe in. Mal stands in front of Jayne with his arms crossed. He kicks the chair.
JAYNE: What Mal?
MAL: What the hell happened!
JAYNE: You said she was a whore!
Book looks at the captain in shock. Mal shakes his head in disgust.
MAL: That's not what I said. Well it was, but it wasn't what I meant.
Mal looks at Simon and Book.
MAL: Is it my fault he didn't understand?
Simon and Book look away.
MAL: Hell, I didn't make him stupid.
BOOK: What did you do son?
JAYNE: Hey I didn't do nothing wrong Preacher. She seemed like she was all for it. She even sent the kid into the room while we talked.
SIMON: Wait a minute. You propositioned her for sex in front of her child?
JAYNE: Yeah.
Collective groan.
JAYNE: What?
MAL: Hwo dan [Jerk]. You don't go asking a woman for a la—-
Before Mal can finish a Zoe-shaped blur pushes past him. Simon, Book, and Mal stare in shock as Zoe sends Jayne flying to the floor with an elbow and fist to the face. He lands at Simon's feet. Simon scrambles away from the violence very nearly avoiding the flying fists of Zoe.
MAL: Zoe!
Zoe gets off Jayne and walks toward the stairs without looking back at anyone. Mal follows her. Jayne sits up holding his face.
JAYNE: What was that for!
Simon and Book turn and walk to their rooms without saying a word.