“Alls I'm sayin' is that we'd save some coin if we go straight on to Beaumonde to pick up a job, 'stead a swingin' by Harvest just so we can pick up some mail then to have ta double back,” Jayne argued as he and Mal stacked cargo.

“Jayne,” Mal gritted with as much patience as a man had, especially when his authority was forever being questioned. “I done told ya, that we gotta drop this here cargo off in Harvest anyhows. What's the point of cartin' around illegal cargo more than we need ta, and then having pick up more on the way? We'd just raise the chances of us getting' caught.”

“Waste of fuel, is all I'm sayin',” the merc muttered.

“Aw ya're just mad cause there ain't no good whorehouses on Harvest,” Kaylee grunted as she and River hauled a box over to Jayne and Mal.

“Gwon nee tze-jee duh shr. I don't recall askin' your opinion in this here matter,” Jayne growled as he easily picked up the box they had lugged over.

“Fact is,” he gave a small grunt as he deposited the box on top of the other cargo. “Harvest ain't got no good ammo supply shops. Alls they got are for shot guns and some pistols. Don't even sell Grizwalds.”

“He lies.”

Everyone turned to look at River. She was staring intently at Jayne.

“Sha mu?” Kaylee furrowed her brow.

“Every page received is another wrinkle in his brow. He worries that it's not enough. He sends and sends but it's never enough. The next one could be the one. He doesn't want to see it, but he can't not see it. It's his duty to see to it. So he delays the inevitable, but he knows he has no choice but to receive the pages he dreads and loves to expect,” she whispered loudly.

“Right...” Mal broke the silence.

“I thought your useless brother said ya're getting better. Still sound feng le to me.” Jayne snorted. He bent over to adjust the crates to hide the fact that his face had gone pale.

“Jayne!” Kaylee scolded.

“It's fine. I'm used to him by now,” River said quite lucidly.

She turned to Mal.“We should be out of atmo in twenty minutes, Captain.” With one last glance towards Jayne, she headed to the bridge.

“If I didn't know any better I'd say that girl was trying to tell us the real reason why Jayne wants to head straight on to Beaumonde,” Mal gave Jayne a pointed look.

“Don't know whatchja talkin' bout, Mal. Think that girl likes to act all moonbrained just to shake us up,” he muttered. What was that girl playin' at talking all weird all of a sudden?

“That maybe, but that girl ain't acted that feng le,as you say, in months. And ain't it just a co-ink-idink that she gets all creepyfyin' when ya're actin' mighty strange?” Mal smirked.

“If ya're done interrogatin' me I've got weapons I need to put away,” Jayne grunted and stomped to his bunk.

“Huh.”

“What? Why'd ja make that noise for?” Kaylee looked at him confused. She wasn't sure what the heck was going on, but she was pretty sure it had somethin' ta do with River and Jayne actin' all weird.

“T'weren't nothin' little Kaylee. You just get yourself out to the engine room.” Mal picked up the last crate and piled it neatly.

“Okay. But everyone's actin' mighty strange around here. I wonder if it has to do with Inara and Zoe goin' to—”

“Kaylee, I thought I done tole you to head on to the engine room?” Mal snapped. He'd almost dropped the darn crate when she mentioned Inara and Zoe.

“I'm going, you kuh-ooh duh lao bao jurn ,” she muttered lowly, but loud enough for Mal to hear her. Her footsteps receded as she climbed up the stairs.

“My gorram ship, and I ain't ever gotten the proper respect—”

“Mal—”

“Bwaa!!” Mal almost dropped the grate that covered the hidey hole. He whirled around and faced an amused looking doctor.

“Doc, for being all top three percent, you ain't all that smart to go sneaking around on an armed man,” Mal bent over to pick up the grate.

“I apologize, captain,” he smirked. “I was wondering if you needed any assistance. It seems like everyone's left you to put these crates away by yourself.” He indicated the small pile of not quite legal cargo.

“Ain't your job to haul cargo,” he muttered.

“I don't mind chipping in,” Simon smiled and helped Mal with one end of the crate.

“Much appreciated. Seems like ya're the only one 'round here that's givin' me respect since Zoe left,” Mal nodded as he shoved the crate into the hidey hole.

“What-whoa!” Simon nearly dropped his end of the crate when they reached for the next one. “Sorry, didn't expect it to be so heavy. What's in these anyway?”

“Now, doc,” Mal grunted as both a them shoved the heavy crate into the hole. “You're already wanted for classy-fied stuff. Do you really want smuggling to be added to it?”

“Very funny,” Simon gave him a wry smile. “I'm glad the Alliance drop its charges against all of you, but it still would have been nice if they'd left River and I alone.”

“Well if wishes were horses...”

“Please, I beg you not to quote Jayne,” Simon held up his hands.

“Well since you asked so nicely... mind dragging the last crate over? Careful with it, it's the biggest,” Mal warned.

Simon nodded and pushed the last box towards Mal, nearly falling flat on his face for over compensating. “Now why did you have the lightest crate on the very bottom instead of on top?”

“Come on now three percent, use your head! Cause it's the biggest crate and it has nothing but pillows. This way if the Feds ever do board us, they'll most likely just open the first crate, being this one, and find nothing but soft downy pillows,” Mal smiled and replaced the grate covering.

He dusted off his hands. “Now then, anything of interest happen while we were doing crime?”

“Oh yes, of course!” Simon's face lit up. “Inara sent a WAVE—”

“And you're just telling me now? We're on the way to drop cargo in Harvest! They're the other way, doc! Why didn't you radio me whe—”

“She only wanted to let us know that Zoe had a boy and a girl. And that they are all fine. They're planning to stay an extra week since the labor seemed to go pretty hard. And if you recall, I tried to radio you, but you told me to go throw feces at my father. Now normally I would have been insulted, but being that my father is a complete pi gu...,” Simon shrugged.

“I was in the middle of a shoot out! How'd ja expect me to— you know what? Never mind, just... go organize the infirmary or something,” he waved him away.

“As you wish, Captain.” Simon bowed his head slightly.

Mal scoffed at his usual Core-bred manners. Even when the doc was annoyed he was polite to the point. Didn't know how Kaylee stood it. Course she probly thought it was all fancy and shiny-like.

“We're clear of atmo, Captain. On route to Harvest and then straight on to Beaumonde,” River announced.

Mal reached for the com, but River interrupted him. “No one following, Captain.”

“Uh... okay then. Thanks, little witch. Jayne! Quit your pouting and get your sorry pi gu to the mess. It's your turn to cook supper. And no experimenting with Kaylee's wine, makes the bread taste all... enginey,” he said unsure of how precisely to describe the mechanic's special brew.

“Hey, just for that, I ain't makin' ya any dessert tonight!” Kaylee said over the com.

“Everyone's gotta throw in their two bits,” he muttered as he headed to the bridge.