Simon waited in the hall. He had seen Inara distracting the captain. He knew Kaylee was in there. Part of him wanted to just walk away. She seemed so happy. ‘Happy without me,’ he thought. He pushed the thought away. He was only there because Kaylee was doing something stupid without realizing it. That was the reason. The only reason.

*****

Kaylee barely had time to react. Simon grabbed her arm as soon as she stepped off the ladder. Simon look furious. “You shouldn’t be with him! You just played right into it didn’t you? He’s just taking advantage of you and you’re stupid enough to go back! That idiot isn’t anywhere near good enough for you!” Kaylee had had it up to here with this. And he’d gone and shot his mouth off about Jayne. Gorramit Kaylee Frye was not one to stand by and let someone insult her man. ‘That’s right,’ she thought. ‘He is my man. Which I should make totally clear right now.’ “Simon Tam, don’t you touch me!” Kaylee threw off his hand. “And don’t you say a gorram thing about Jayne! Or I’ll kill you! You gave up on me and now he’s my man. So don’t think you’re only dealing with him when you say that!”

*****

At first when she’d left, Jayne was confused. Maybe it had only been sex to Kaylee. After all, he didn’t know for certain how she felt. He pulled on his clothes, thinking on how he would ask her, when he heard shouting. It was Kaylee. “-don’t you say a gorram thing about Jayne! You gave me up and now he’s my man.” That was all Jayne needed to hear. Simon was hasseling Kaylee. He sprang the hatch. Simon grabbed Kaylee’s wrist. “Look, I care what happens if-“ Kaylee cut him off by punching him in the nose. She usually didn’t get so mad and haul off like that, but she was just sick of him. Simon grabbed his face. Behind her, Jayne barked out a laugh. “What the hell is going on?” Mal was standing in front of the engine room looking at all of them disbelievingly.