A/N: Set between the last episode of Firefly and the BDM.

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Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.


Kala awoke to see Wash asleep with his head on the bed, looking very uncomfortable. She reached out to stroke curly blonde hair nearly identical to her own in shade and texture.

"Good morning, Gege," she said.

He raised his head and looked at her. "Good morning."

"Looks like you've had a rough night," Kala said.

"Looks like you've had a rough week," he replied.

"You could say that," she said, letting her head fall back against the pillows. "What did that Doctor give me? The room is still all swirly."

"Well, just as long as you don't go crazy, then fall asleep, we're doing good," Wash cracked.

"What?"

"Never mind," Wash waved away the joke. "What happened, Mei-mei? I thought everything was shiny."

"It was. It was very shiny, until it wasn't. Then it was very not shiny," she said, looking at her hands.

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only answer I have. I just, I just wasn't what he wanted, and I wouldn't want to be if I could," she said. "A whore's a whore, even if she goes by the title of wife, and if I wanted to spend my life as somebody's whore, Madame Anna pays a hell of a lot better," She dragged her eyes to his. "And that is all I want to say about it, Hoban."

He decided to let it go at the moment; her head was probably too shiny to give a straight answer anyway. However, he was determined he would find out what she meant by that remark.

"Wash, we need to talk," Mal strode into the infirmary.

"Now?"

"Now's as good as time as any," Mal said, trying to sound harsh. "You don't ever change the course of my spaceship without my permission. Unless, you know, you need to do it to save our lives. Or if the Alliance is on us, or Reavers, or whatever," he suddenly realized that if his pilot had to stop and get his permission every time before altering course, they could get in a lot of hot water. "Gorramit! Just don't start on any missions without including me and Zoe, got it?"

"Got it," Wash replied.

"Now, there is the matter of payment," Mal replied.

"Payment?"

"We don't do a job without getting paid for it," Mal said.

Wash grimaced. Their last paying job had been a while back and he wasn't exactly flush anymore. "What's the price?"

"I can pay, Gege," Kala said.

"No disrespect, ma'am," Mal said. "But you didn't hire us, Wash did." He turned to Wash. "What do you have on you?"

"You mean, like this minute?" Wash asked, rummaging through his pockets.

"Yes. Right now."

"Three platinums," he held out the coins.

"Great." Mal took the coins. "One for Serenity, one for me, and one for Jayne. You can settle your bill with Zoe yourself," he replied with a grin. "You two best be deciding what she wants to do next."

"So, that's your Captain?" Kala asked as Mal left.

Wash nodded.

"I didn't mean for you to get in trouble with your Capitan," she said.

"You didn't," he said. "Mal is just trying to pretend he's the big bad captain. If he hadn't wanted to help grab you, he wouldn't have."

"If he's the Captain, then who was the other man?"

"What?" Wash looked around, wondering if she wasn't still seeing things from the drugs.

"Yesterday, Bubba, I'm not seeing things," she replied, seeing him look around. "The other man with you yesterday, the one who helped me out of the ..., thing."

"Oh, I was confused because you said man. The word you're looking for is Neanderthal. That was Jayne," Wash replied.

"Jayne? That's a girl's name," she smiled.

"For God's sake don't tell him that, or he'll show you that he's not a girl."

"I think I'm going to sleep now," Kala smiled again closing her eyes, the drugs were still swirling her thoughts in a pleasant way. "You should do the same, Gege."

Three days later, Simon allowed her to take a room in the passenger's dorm.


That morning Shepard Book was awaken by a delicious smell, which was surprising because it was his day to cook. Not that he was complaining, this smelt better than even his breakfast hash and he was the best cook on the ship. He started towards the kitchen, but stopped when he saw Jayne standing just outside the doorway watching or rather listening.

"I'll fly away, fly away, oh darling, I'll fly away in the morning, when I die hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away." Floated from the stove area.

"Is that Miss Washburne?" Shepard asked. He was impressed.

Jayne nodded. He hadn't heard that song since he was a child. His mother used to sing it to him as a lullaby.

"I wonder what she's cooking," Shepard said. "It smells wonderful. And I didn't have to cook it."

Jayne nodded. "Better hush her up. If Mal hears her singing that, he'll kick her off the ship for good."

Shepard just clapped him on the shoulder and walked past him into the kitchen.

"Miss Washburne? Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Shepard Book."