It had been only a few months since Kaylee joined the crew, but it felt like she been there from the start. She thought that the ship look drab, had no color no life. So, when ever they were planet side long enough she would buy things to make Serenity feel more like a home than a space ship.

"No peeping Captain." Kaylee said as she lead Mal, Wash, and Zoë to the kitchen.

"I don't care for not knowing where I'm going Kaylee."

"Stop being such a baby Captain we're just going to the kitchen I gotta surprise."

"Is it a pony? Kaylee did you go and sneak a pony on board." Wash said as he felt around to gain his bearings.

"Kaylee did you bring a pony on board without my permission? Zoë did you know about this insubordination."

"Yes, Kaylee and I planned a mutiny to throw you off ship, the pony is our new captain now." Zoë hated surprises. She liked to know what was coming to her.

"Shiny, Captain Pony." Wash said as he bumped into Zoë.

"Sorry." He wasn't really. It gave him a chance to feel her up. They finally made it to the kitchen. Mal tripped on the step.

"Kaylee can I open my eyes before I trip and kill myself."

"Ok, open your eyes."

They all looked. Kaylee had painted the whole kitchen yellow with little flowers. She even found a table and chairs. Noted none of them matched. The kitchen looked like a real kitchen.

"It's real nice, Kaylee." Zoë said as she hugged the mechanic.

Mal looked around. This was the first time that Serenity actually felt like a real home and not a ship. He looked at his crew, they were family now, not just a bunch of strangers working on a ship together.

"I think you made the Captain cry Kaylee." Wash said as he handed Mal a hanky to wipe his eyes.

"Awe Captain." She went over and kiss him on the check. Mal made crying noises.

They all sat down in their new kitchen and ate dinner together.

Zoë found herself going to the cockpit more and more lately. She just go and sit with the pilot. Not really saying anything, because he talked enough for the both of them. "So, Yao noo First Mate Zoë what do I owe the honor of your presence today?"

"Just getting a little stir crazy in the black I guess."
"We'll be plant side soon enough."

They sat in silence for a while. Zoë noticed that Wash had a small scar on the side of his head, you couldn't really see it only if you looked hard enough. Mal interrupted her looking at the Pilot. "How much longer til' we reach Persephone?"

"Another day."

"Any trouble?"

"Nope, we're flying under the radar as you request."

"Good, I want to drop these good off quick as possible." Mal looked at Zoë who was still looking at the pilot. "Zo, you ok? Look a little moon brain over there."

"Fine." She looked a bit startled. Mal left the two of them alone. Zoë couldn't help but look at the pilot. He was cute in an odd sense, he made her laugh, carefree, he had a hideous mustache, and he was everything Mal wasn't. Untouched by the horrors of war. And, that is what made her like him even more. "No, Zoë can't be falling for the pilot. It would just be complicating things." She said to herself. Some days she wanted to beat him over the head with his stupid dinosaurs other days she just wanted to drag him down her bunk and have wild monkey sex. She wouldn't loose her cool. She jumped up all of a sudden. "I need water." And quickly ran out the room.

"Was it something a said? Do I smell?" Wash looked at his dinosaurs and sniffed his armpit.

Mal was in the kitchen eating on leftovers from the other night. "You alright, there Zo? Looking a little flushed."

She went to the sink to get some water to splash on her face. "Fine, Captain." She snapped back.

"Hey don't get snippy with me because you getting all moon brain over the pilot."

"Moon brain, Sir? I don't get moon brain. Especially over the pilot." She gave Mal a look as to drop the subject.

"I'm just saying shipboard romances tend to complicate things." Mal strolled out whistling to himself and laughing at the idea of the pilot and his first mate hooking up.

Zoë stood at the sink thinking. Mal was right shipboard romances complicated things. Damn. She hated when he was right, he made this dumb face when he was right. Wash came into the kitchen in his normal cheery way. Damn. He walked over to the cabinets behind her. Zoë thought to herself. "Don't loose your cool Zoë, his not right for you. He sings stupid songs, he plays with dinosaurs, he wears aloha shirts, and he has a mustache…"

Wash turned to her, "Hey, do we have any more…"

"Oh hell forget it." She kissed him. Wash was surprised, but then he got into it. They were kissing pretty passionately, when Kaylee walked in.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry…I'm sorry you guys." She ran out the room with her eyes covered. Zoë pulled away. "Umm, wow." Wash was in amazement. He moved in to make the next move, but she pushed away and left leaving him alone and confused.

Kaylee came back into the kitchen this time covering her eyes. "Is it safe to come in?"

"Yeah, be warned mei mei I tend to scare pretty ladies away."

"I'm sorry for walking in on you guys kissin' I just wanted." She paused. "Wait, ya'll were kissing." She playfully punched Wash in the shoulder.

"So, tell me what happen. Who kissed who first? Oh my God are ya'll sweeties?" Kaylee's voice went up 5 octaves when she spoke.

"Not so much." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm lost to what just happen."

"Oh" Kaylee sounded a bit disappointed. Wash headed back to the bridge when Mal ran into him.

"What you do to Zoë cause she's in a pissy mood."

"Da-shiong boa-jah-shr dun la doo-tze what I did?"

"Yeah, she was happy as a clam when I left her and now not so much."

Wash and Mal where at a stand still.

"Now what could I have of possible done to upset Zoë? Did I smile too hard, or laugh too loud, have too much fun oh I know, I was breathing the same air as she was."

"Nee tzaoss-ma? Nee-yow wuh-kai chang?"

"What you gonna shoot me?"

"I might."

"Well I appreciated if you don't."

"Fine."

"Fine." Wash stormed back to the bridge and started fiddling with the switches. Mal walked down to the cargo bay where Zoë was sitting on a crate.

"Don't worry I'm not going to say it."

"I would take that as a kindness."

"I told you shipboard romances complicates things."

"I thought you weren't going to say anything."

"I change my mind."

Mal sat down beside her.

"See now things are complicated. I got a pilot who I might shoot later and a first mate whose all pissy."

"You shoot him for me, Sir?"

"Zoë you know I'll shoot anybody for you." He wrapped his arm around her.

"Thanks, Sir."

They sat there for a moment. "So, you gonna tell me what happen?" Mal asked.

"No." Zoë then got up and headed for the bridge.

"Glad you got that off your chest."

After the "Danny fiasco" Mal and Zoë moved around a lot taking jobs when they could. Some of them where legal others not so much. They found themselves getting further and further out to the boarder planets.

They had landed themselves in a holding cell on Jaylen. They were bound for getting in a bar fight with some locals. Mal had broken the jaw of the deputy's son and Zoë shot a couple of people in the leg.

"Ahh Unification Day, don't you love it Zo." Mal said as he doodled in dirt in there tiny cell that they shared.

Zoë looked out the small window. "Its my favorite time of the year, Sir."

Mal stopped drawing and stood by Zoë and looked out the window. "We gotta get ourselves a ship."

"A ship, Sir?"

"Yeah, a ship. Get ourselves self a ship and make our own rules, Zo. Take the jobs we want. Don't have to live under the foot of no one."

"Sounds nice, Sir."

Mal went over the cot and laid down putting his arms behind his head daydreaming. The guard shoved in what was supposed to be food through the slot of the cell. Mal went to go pick it up. "Hmmm protein. Want some?" Mal waved it under her nose. Zoë made a face. "More for me then." Mal took a bite of the moldy protein bar.