Sidenote: I wanted to just say thanks to all of you who have been following this story...you can't know what your comments have meant to me. I don't own any of the Characters except Jo Macleod and I'm grateful to be able to just play in Joss's Verse for a while. I don't know if anyone realized where the title came from but if you watch the first part of Serenity in the Series you will see Mal kiss a gold cross he wears around his neck, I just thought it would be interesting to take a look at where it came from and who might have given it to him and what they meant to him before he had such a drastic change happen to him...Jo was that person and I'm thrilled the way the story has wrapped up for me. Seems fitting I'm submitting it on Valentines day...Happy V day everyone! PS: This will NOT be the last you see of these two! Keep your eyes peeled! Hugs, Jenna AKA: JMacleod

Mal was pacing back and forth in front of the entrance to Badger's lair when the flap opened in front of them and two men dropped Jo's inert body. "Compliments of Badger." One of them said before laughing as they turned around and walked away.

"No!" Mal yelled as he dove toward her. He rolled her body over and felt Zoe's hand at his arm, "No, don't, get her up, let's go…now Sir!" She said pulling at him, "Jayne get Jo and be quick we don't have a lot of time!" She said tugging Mal away from the entrance.

Jayne picked Jo up and hurried after Zoe and a now sputtering Mal.

Zoe was quick to get all of them aboard Serenity with the bay doors sliding closed before she made Jayne put Jo down. "Help me get this off her." She said as she bent over Jo's body. Mal was staring open mouthed as he watched Jayne and Zoe tear Jo's jacket away. "What the hell are you two doing?" He yelled.

Simon came running at that point, "Did it work!" He yelled as he came flying down the stairs with his bag and a worried looking Kaylee behind him.

"Don't know…" Zoe said as she ripped away Jo's jacket. It was then Mal heard the coughing, he looked down at Jo again and saw her face go red as she gasped in air, 'Bas…bastard can't shoot…" more coughing, "…worth a piss!" She said sitting up. Zoe and Jayne were laughing. "You had us scared there for a second…" Zoe said.

Jo looked down and touched Zoe's ballistic mesh vest. "I had myself scared for a second. When he fired off that round, I thought my whole chest was going to explode. Where the hell did he hit me anyway?" She said poking at the vest.

Zoe touched the midlevel of her chest and out popped a round. "Oh." Jo said as she stared at it. It was then that she looked up at Mal. "Hi honey, I'm home." She said with a smile. Mal was trying to say something but his mouth wasn't working properly and he couldn't get any words past his throat.

Zoe helped Jo out of the vest and Jayne helped her to stand up. Simon was asking her questions about how she felt, taking her pulse and just generally making sure she hadn't suffered any real internal damage. When he was done, Jo stepped away from him and up to Mal. She put one hand on each side of his face and made him look at her. "I'm sorry; I had to make that as real as possible. I do love you though." She said softly and kissed him. He seemed to regain his senses then because he pushed her away and swore angrily, "Nee mun doh BEE-jway! What the HELL did you all think you where doing!" He yelled.

Zoe had given orders to River to take them out of atmo at that point and as the ship banked hard Jo fell into Mal. He wrapped an arm around her waist to help steady her and looked down at her. "I aught to chuck your ass out of the air lock for mutiny!" He snapped. She smiled and ran a hand down his cheek. "Say it." She told him.

"Say what?" He said with a scowl.

"You know what…say it." She said her smile growing.

He mashed his teeth for a second before saying something inaudible.

"I'm sorry…what was that?" She said enjoying the moment.

"I love you ok? Happy now!" He snapped.

"Very!" She said kissing him soundly. There was a round of laughter behind them and Kaylee said, "I told you…she's good for him!"

Several hours later in Mal's Bunk

He gave a contented sigh as Jo moved to lie beside him. She was running a hand softly across his abdomen. "Your gonna kill me if your not careful woman." He heard her chuckle. He looked down at her, "What was it you shoved into my jacket?" She looked up at him, "In Badger's tent, what did you put in my pocket?"

"Oh…" She softly. She got up then and he watched her pad naked across his room to where they'd left his jacket, God she was a beautiful sight. She picked it up and rooted around in one of the inside pockets. She came out with a black velvet bag and smiled. Crossing back to the bed, she took a seat beside him. "Give me your hand." She said.

He did as she asked and she tipped the bag over it. He watched in amazement as a large handful of diamonds in all sizes cascaded over his open palm. He looked up at her.

"There was never any Sapphire, I'm sorry to say that was indeed a fake, a very nice fake…but a fake all the same. However these are real and they do come from earth that was…" She ran a finger through them, "Shiney aren't they?" She said with a smile.

"Are they yours or are they stolen?" He asked looking at her.

"No silly, their ours, and no they aren't stolen." She said leaning down to kiss him.

When she pulled away, "And the money?" He prompted.

"Real…wanna get the ship fixed and take a vacation?" She asked him with a smile.

Mal sighed and put the stones back in their bag. "Been meanin' to ask you somethin'." He said putting the bag down. She was watching him, a worried look on her face.

"Shah muh?" She asked quietly.

"Well, I noticed while you've been here that the food has gotten a bit better an all, was wonderin' if you'd like the position of cook?" He asked her.

"You're asking me to work for you?"

He shrugged, "Yeah…how bout' it?"

She shook her head incredulously, "You…you want me to cook for you?"

He nodded again.

"I don't believe you." She said.

"Well, I'd like to be able to say my wife is a proper cook and all."

She went still as a stone at his last comment. "Excuse me?"

He smiled, "I can't believe I'm doing this, I'm hoping neither of us will be sorry…but I'd like to try to make up for lost time. Will you marry me?"

She laughed and jumped onto of him kissing his face all over. He laughed, "I take it that's a yes?"

"Yes, yes, yes,yes!" She said laughing happily.

He reached up and touched the gold cross that hung around her neck. "Such a small thing…"