Five days later Mal decided enough was enough. Jayne was complaining that Simon was still concerned about his well being. Simon was complaining about Jayne not being a good patient. Kaylee was defending Simon. River was upset because the ship was upset, or so she said. Zoe and Wash were clearly hiding something. They kept glancing at him and glancing at each other. He didn't know what that could be about, he already knew about the baby. He had heard a uncharacteristically soft spoken fight, or at least the tail end of it. Something about Zoe obsessing. Since then they weren't talking. Book was sharing his time between the fights trying to stem the tide. Zoe and Wash wouldn't talk about what they were fighting about, and there was no middle ground between Jayne and Simon as usual. Jia sat back and silently took it all in, except for explosive bits of temper which were horrible. She would no longer allow fighting in the galley, which led to bickering matches with Mal. The worst of which started over Zoe and Wash yesterday.

Mal came in the galley, "Do you know what Zoe and Wash are fighting about?"

Jia snapped, "How should I know?"

"Maybe I was just making conversation. You sure are whiny lately."

She gave him a very pissed look, "Maybe if you kept Jayne and Simon out of here I wouldn't be so 'whiny'."

"They ain't my responsibility."

Jia scoffed, "Of course not."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You always ask that but you never really want to know the answer."

"You right I don't, but I know you 'll tell me anyway after days of pouting so I ask anyway. My way of getting ahead."

Now she was pissed, "I do not pout."

Mal mocked, "Of course not."

Jia put down what she was doing and came to face him, "You wanna know 'what's that supposed to mean'?"

"Why not?"

"Maybe it is your responsibility 'Captain'."

"I ain' the mother aboard this boat."

"No you just the mother..."

Jayne entered interrupting the argument, "You two arguing again?"

They turned towards Jayne, "We are not arguing."

"Fine." He put his feet up on the table.

Jia scolded, "I just washed that you ching-wha tsao duh liou mahng!"

He took his feet off and stood up, "Well excuse me. Didn't know you was runnin a quality establishment here." He left.

Mal and Jia turned back to each other.

"You was sayin."

"I was. Same applies to you 'sir'."

"Just because Badger likes you and you look like you do don't mean you get to talk to me like that."

"What are you gonna do about it?"

"Maybe I'll kick your little ass off this ship that's what."

"Sure." She turned her back on him and went back to her work.

"I wasn't done with you."

"Sorry I can't say the same."

Mal went up to her, "What exactly is your problem lately?"

"My problem? I already stated my problem but you didn't wanna hear it."

"There are lots of thing I don't wanna hear from you. Dong ma?"

"You can't possibly..." She locked her eyes on something over Mal's shoulder.

He turned. River was standing in the doorway. Mal left with a last glare at Jia. River just stood there. Jia didn't know what to say.

River came up to her and hugged her, "Please don't leave."

Jia hugged River back, "I'm not leaving River. We just had an argument. No big deal."

River shoved away from her. "It is a big deal. Too much noise." She ran out of the galley. Jia hung her head. She felt horrible.

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That night had been the worst. Silence around the table. Everyone but Book was there. Dinner had just started but was the most tense it had ever been.

Book entered and his shoulders slumped. He had almost had enough himself. "What happened now?"

River answered, "Mommy and Captain Daddy had a fight."

Everyone looked at her as she covered her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. Then everyone looked at Jia and Mal.

"Captain Daddy?"

"Mommy?"

No one knew what to say, then Wash started shaking with laughter. Soon everyone had joined in, even Mal and Jia. After that Jia apologized to everyone, and Mal did by saying 'me too.'

After that the night went smoother. Mal sat in the pilot's chair early the next morning trying to come up with a way to stop everyone from killing one another. So far he hadn't come up with much. He was surfing through the maps available when he came upon a place, and an idea.

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"Iso? Ain't that a piece of no where?"

Mal was explaining his idea to his crew gathered in the galley. "It sure is. Been there only once myself. It's the closest thing to a resort planet out of the core. No body really knows about it except those that been there. Trying to keep it low so they don't get overrun."

"What's there Cap'n?" Kaylee asked.

"Not much. But they got shops and a hotel and just a bunch of places to be by yourself. Which I'm thinkin that's what everyone needs." He saw Jayne's hopeful face. "Sorry Jayne, no brothels. Only dirty thing there is alcohol, and that's at a minimum. Which is why I think everyone can go on their merry way for a while."

Simon was concerned, "It's safe?"

"Safest place we've ever been."

Everyone was in thought.

"It ain't an option, I already plotted the course there. We all need some time away from each other."

Kaylee was delighted, "A hotel Cap'n? We can spend a night away?"

"Yep. Places to camp too if that's what you want."

Everyone agreed that was a great idea. Kaylee saw a flaw, "What about Serenity?"

"I'll stay behind and watch her."

Jia spoke up. "The hell you will."

Mal looked at her, "Jia this ain't the time."

"I'll watch her. You leave. I've been on this boat the shortest amount of time, I should stay."

Zoe added, "While I hate the idea of Jia here, I do agree with her in that you shouldn't stay here."

Mal saw everyone agreed with Zoe's assessment.

Jia was determined, "Unless you want to spend the entire time with me you should go sir."

Mal gave in just this once, and agreed that he would leave but would be checking on Jia from time to time. Jia rolled her eyes and agreed. The plans were set. Wash and Zoe planned a honeymoon. Kaylee and Simon planned an entire night with just them. Jayne planned finding a woman he didn't have to pay for. Book planned a night of silence. River planned to sleep under the stars. Mal planned how he was going to survive a night without Serenity.

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Landing brought some not so tearful good byes and plenty of instructions from Simon for River and from Mal to Jia. The instructions were different but very similar. With a smile they all left to enjoy a night of freedom. Jia closed the door behind her and walked towards the cabinet to do something she loved to do, organize.

Several hour later Jia was lost in her own world when the captain came up behind her. She whirled and smacked him in the nose. It started to bleed immediately.

"I told you I would be here, Gorram it."

"I'm sorry I lost track of time."

"I thought that when I had to go and find you."

Jia followed Mal down to the infirmary apologizing all the way. Mal quickly found what he was looking for and stopped the bleeding. He turned at the sound of a snort from Jia. He saw her shaking and with her head in her hands.

"It ain't that bad." He went to comfort her and she lifted her face. She wasn't crying, she was laughing.

"It's a little worse than that."

"If only you could have seen your face."

She continued to laugh and made her way out of the infirmary. Mal followed her and finally admitted it was funny.

It was in that moment that Jia turned to face him. He was closer than she thought. They were inches away.

Mal didn't know what to think. The only thing he could think of was all the missed opportunities. He wouldn't make the same mistakes again. He lowered his head and met his lips to hers. He kissed her softly. When she responded, he went to put his arm around her and pull her closer, but she pushed away.

"No, I won't be anyone's consolation prize."

With that she left him and went back to organizing. Mal stood there for a while not knowing anything, and then turned and left the ship for the night. He didn't return until there were others present. He thought all night about why he had done it, and what she had said. He was conflicted like never before. There had always been one way to do things in his mind. His mind usually said keep your distance, but now a growing part was asking why he had to. He knew the answer, but he couldn't convince himself she wasn't different from all the others. She couldn't be different. If he let her in the same thing would happen that did with Inara. But his mind fought.

'There are no barriers like with Inara. She's not a companion.'

'I'm still the same person I was with her. What makes you think Jia won't end up hurt too.'

'If it does work out, it would be the best thing that had ever happened to you.'

'If it didn't work out I'd just be hurting her.'

'That is the risk you should be taking. Jump off that cliff just once.'

'I thought we agreed long ago happy ever after wasn't for me. I thought we had established that.'

'She's different. What if you are the one that makes her happy. What about that? If you don't take the risk, maybe you'll be hurting her more than if you do take the risk'

'How am I supposed to know that?'

'Jump in with both feet. When was the last time you even thought about another woman.'

'I can't remember.'

'That's because it was before Jia came back to you, Since then you haven't thought about anyone else. Admit it.'

'I can't. What if it does work out? What then?'

'Then that's a good thing.'

'What happens when it has to end? What then?'

'Who says it has to?'

His mind continued to have the argument throughout the night. It was about six in the morning when he realized the new voice wasn't his, it was River's.