They arrived at the destination to indeed find a deserted ship. Jayne, Zoe and Mal boarded the ship and got what they came for. The crew of Serenity left very quickly, remembering what happened the last time they approached a seemingly empty boat dead in the water.

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Mal walked into the galley after talking to Badger's contacts they were to sell the good to. Jayne, Zoe, Wash, Kaylee and Jia were all there talking.

"I can't believe these so called friends of Badger's. They agree to any price we want as long as I deliver it alone."

Zoe looked up, "That seems a bit wrong somehow sir."

"In many ways, but I don't suppose it's too much of a sacrifice for twice the price we can get anywhere else."

Jia asked, "Could you drop me off on the way sir? I need something from the town."

Mal looked around, "Didn't I just say alone. That includes not you Jia."

"I said on the way, I don't want to go on the job with you."

Mal shrugged, "Whatever, doesn't matter to me, but if they kill me it's your fault."

"I will remember that sir."

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When they arrived planet side, Mal was giving last minute instructions to a concerned crew. He was getting a lot of protests before River announced that everything would go fine. They had come to trust her predictions in the last few weeks. Mal shrugged and Jia and him were on their way when Wash had finished programming the shuttle, and telling Mal not to mess with it. River's prediction was right, until Mal was running late to pick up Jia, and decided to take a shortcut.

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Jia and Mal walked into the only hotel on the now rain soaked planet. 'Hotel' was a generous term, it was really just a large house and hangout for the degenerates of the town. The 'lobby' was a bar with six tables and a front desk. Five less than trustworthy men sat and drank themselves to oblivion. They all looked up however, when the soaked twosome walked in.

"I can not believe you crashed the shuttle."

"I did not crash it."

"Oh yeah, it fell down on it's own and now just happens to not work."

"I told you the story three times. I was flying around fine, when the power cut out. Now I can't get it back on and the vid screen won't work without the power."

"Sure fine. The ending is still the same. Wash told you not to mess with it..."

"It's my shuttle. I can fly the gorram thing fine."

"Look how that ended."

The Manager broke into their fight, "You two must have been married for a while."

In that instant Mal surveyed the situation. Jia's clothes were soaked through, and left nothing to the imagination. The five other patrons and the manager were taking it all in.

Jia was going to correct the manager, "We are not..."

Mal interrupted her, "going to be here for more than one night." He put his arm around Jia and pulled her closer, "My wife and I would like a room for tonight please."

The manager nodded and turned around to get a key. Mal looked down to Jia who was giving him a look that told him exactly what she thought of him and would like to do to him, and it wasn't good. The manager gestured for them to follow him and Mal again surveyed the situation. All the other patrons had all found something else of interest to occupy their night.

Jia thankfully held off on her tirade until the manager had closed them in their room and left. She was not going to hold out any longer. "What do you think you are doing?"

Sarcasm was always Mal's first idea, "I thought we needed a weekend away, just me and you."

Not a good choice. "You lecherous..."

"Didn't you see the looks you were getting in the lobby? If'n I hadn't done what I did, you would've had five if not six night visitors, one of which would have had a key. I though this was safer, silly me."

Jia stopped, "I..."

"By the way, I resent how everyone always assumes I'm trying to get into some woman's pants. You and the shepherd have dirty minds."

"I'm sorry, it never even occurred to me. Thank you."

"You are welcome."

They both surveyed the sparse room. It was nothing but a bed, a clean bed, but that was it.

Mal grimaced, "There's not even a place to dry our clothes. This is ridiculous."

"Look Captain, you only got one set of clothes, and you ain't taking 'um off while I'm here."

Mal chuckled a little. "Great. We both sleep in wet clothes."

"I suggested the shuttle, but that was uncomfortable."

"Don't even have blankets in the shuttle and the crew won't come looking for us for a while. It's the middle of the night."

"Then be happy."

They stood there for a minute deciding what to do, when there was a knock on the door. Mal opened it to face the manager.

"The missus thought you could use these." He handed Mal a pair of very large pants and a very large shirt. Mal thanked him, and closed and locked the door.

They both stood there looking at the clothes.

Jia sighed and took the shirt from Mal. "Turn around."

He did so and she quickly changed into the shirt, which reached her knees and was thankfully clean. She climbed into the bed and told Mal she was done. He turned to see her with the blankets up to her neck. He tried not to laugh.

"Now you turn around."

Jia smiled but put her head under the covers. Mal quickly changed and tried to make himself comfortable on the floor. Jia turned off the light by the bed and tried to settle in. It didn't work. After a few minutes, she sat up and turned on the light.

"Get into bed."

"Miss Mason, are you trying to seduce me?"

"I can keep my hands to myself if you can. Now get up here."

"Just go to bed."

"Fine, then I sleep on the floor too."

Mal sighed, "You're just stubborn enough to do it too ain't ya?"

"Yep."

Mal grumbled as he climbed into the bed and clung to the other side, "Go to bed."

Jia turned off the light knowing that now she could sleep.

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Mal awoke the next morning to a very unhappy Shepherd poking him. He came quickly awake to see Jayne, Wash, Zoe and of course Shepherd Book standing over them. Jia was still sleep, and curled to his side. This was not going to be easy to explain.

"Well, another 'special' time."

Mal put his arms that had just been around his cook up in the air. "I didn't touch her."

Jayne scoffed. Zoe said, "Sir, you gotta admit that's hard to believe. Manager said you told him you were married."

"That was a security issue."

Wash put his head in his hands and Mal could tell he was laughing. "It's true."

Jia chose that moment to wake up. She quickly came to when she saw the entourage. "Hi everyone."

Wash's face was still covered, "I really thought you had better standards Jia."

Jia rolled her eyes, "Oh please, nothing happened."

Book was not convinced, "Jia, you don't have to lie to protect him."

"I know that. You really think I would do that? Thanks a lot."

Now Book was convinced, "I'm sorry Jia. What did happen?"

"The shuttle wouldn't work and we didn't know how long it would be before you guys got here. So we came here. It wasn't safe for me to be alone so in order to protect me, Mal pretended we were married. I insisted he sleep up here because the floor is just bare wood. What is wrong with all of you that you instantly think of sex?"

Mal spoke up, "What, you're insulted they thought you would sleep with me!"

Jia rolled her eyes, "Grow up, Mal."

Jia convinced them all to leave so they could dress. They were both silent as they went back to the ship. Wash and Kaylee went off to fix the other shuttle. Book stopped Mal on his way to his bunk, "I apologize for my jumping to conclusions Captain."

"I should think so. Ain't shepherd supposed to be nonjudgmental?"

"Yes they are. Again I apologize."

Mal nodded and started to walk away. Book called after him, "I do wish to tell you that the same consequences apply as the consequences about miss Saffron, should you even think about young miss Mason in such a way."

"Jia is not a professional seductress, and I am not a lecher."

"Remember, The Special Hell."

Book turned and left Mal contemplating what exactly made the shepherd think that about him every time. He wasn't Jayne, after all.