A/N: Well first off, if this chapter is a little slow... well just wait, I promise chapter 3 will be VERY interesting.

Also, Kaylee's mechanical jargon is brought to you by my mind making stuff up.

*Ash loves comments*

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Ru packed her things from her small ship as she heard the sound of footsteps.

“It’s us.” Mal announced as he strolled in, eyes roaming the small place. “This a sardine can if I ever seen one.” He muttered under his breath about the small space.

“Hey, don’t insult my ship.” She exclaimed tersely.

“Yeah Capin’” Kaylee piped with a disapproving scowl as she had her tool bag slung over her shoulder and hair back in a ponytail. “This here’s a fine ship, don’t insult her just ‘cause she’s a bit small. I’m sure she’s got heart.”

“Well tetchy.” He turned his palms up in defense and uttered the words out.

His mechanic ignored him and looked at the newcomer to their crew. “What’s her name?”

“The ship?” Ru chuckled. “Well she’s a Rabbit class so I call her Dash. Horrible name…”

“No no.” Kaylee refuted with a smile as she absorbed the little ship like it was a human being instead of a hunk of metal. “Suits her well, I saw the Tendarl BV-80 thrusters on ‘er so she’s gotta be zippy.”

Mal arched a brow to the instant bonding the two had as Kaylee’s innocent green eyes told him she was already latching onto Ru like a puppy who met someone with a biscuit “Well now, I guess you figgered out that this here’s my mechanic, ‘lil Kaylee.” Putting his hand on her shoulder with a proud smile “best mechanic in the ‘verse.”

“Aww Capin’.” Kaylee stammered sweetly, her honey brown locks falling into her dirty face as the ponytail was too loose.

“It’s true, she’s got my boat running off of ancient parts plus some duct tape and wire.” He patted her back like a proud father. “Kaylee, this is Jane Ruess, best gunship pilot in the Independent army. Since our Jayne makes a fuss about him being mixed up with her she’s goin by Ru.”

“Nice ta meet ya Ru.” The mechanic shook her head vigorously, transferring some black grease in the process. “It’s fun ta have new people join the crew. Makes things more interestin’.

Ru chuckled, this girl was too cute. “Nice ta meet you Kaylee, I reckon you need to look at this little boat’s engine?”

“Show me the way!”

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John was hungry.

Now that the last piece of Alliance hardware was off of him, and ripping it off in the process hadn’t caused him to die instantly as he had feared, he remembered better times, happier times, he remembered shining core cities. People, people who loved him dearly, lavish affairs and being spoiled like a prince, as well as people who pushed him into the hell he had been through when he was just a boy. The tests, the probes, the drugs, the drills, the lessons, nightmares, the cage.

He couldn’t dwell on it, because damn he was hungry.

River had left him to go fiddle with something as he prowled through the hiding space. Pushing a panel open, sniffing the air to make sure no one was about as the woman and big man had returned, John Woolf prowled through the shadows to the smell of food in the mess hall.

“River!” Simon called out for his sibling as she was still hiding from his medication. Book was following him as the echoes of the others looking for River fell in the distance. The old Shepard naturally calm even though the surgeon by his side was fretting. “How can the captain bring another person on board?” He blurted while catching his breath as Mal, Jayne and Zoe had come back and then Malcom had headed out on the mule with Kaylee after announcing there would be another passenger. “I would hope to think he realizes the more people on board the more risk he’s putting my sister and I in.”

“Zoe said she and the Captain know whoever this new crewmember is.” The man of the cloth explained as they stood in the kitchen. “I’m sure he wouldn’t bring someone in he can’t trust.”

“Jayne says she’s a bounty hunter and she’s currently chasing a man the Alliance want.” He responded in a somber fashion. “What’s to stop her from collecting the reward money for us? I’m sure the amount they want for River and I is a lot higher than for whatever goon she’s chasing.”

Shepard Book paused and contemplated the point, the creases in corners of his wise old eyes folding. “If she even thinks about it, I don’t think Mal would put up with it. He’s made it clear he wouldn’t fly with someone potentially siding with the Alliance. And besides, when did you start taking Jayne seriously?” Arching a brow.

“That’s irrelevant,” they started walking again. “what is, is that someone’s getting on this ship.”

As soon as they were gone he made sure the coast was clear. Pausing, looking around and seeing a plate of hot chow on the table he stalked over and eyed the food. Grabbing the dumplings he took off, going back into hiding just as the strawberry blonde pilot in a Hawaiian shirt and khaki coveralls came over to the table.

Wash looked down with a smile to his food, stopped before he took a seat and furrowed his brows. “Wei…?” his eyes darted around to look for the culprit while his fair face was clearly agitated. “Who took my food AGAIN?!” His head whipped around as he looked for the culprit. “JAYNE?!”

“What?!” Jayne rumbled as he heard his name screeched.

“Did you eat my food?!”

“Come again?” the larger man asked as Wash had to look up at him.

“I had dumplings… dumplings!” He motioned drastically with his hands while his face read as if he had just lost a diamond. “I bought them yesterday at the market and I…” His lower lip quivered at the thought of his food. “I hid…. Now they’re…” the pilot looked up at Jayne. “Did you?!”

“No.” He huffed. “Why are you hidin’ food from us anyhow?”

“Because I’m a greedy person.”

Jayne shrugged his shoulders and left to go clean his gun. “Your loss.”

“Dumplings.” Wash whimpered.

“What’s wrong?” Zoe came over to her husband and placed her hands on his shoulders.

”My dumplings went poof.”

She cracked an amused smile. “Say what?”

“Someone stole my dumplings.” He toned plaintively.

Zoe chuckled and gave his cheek a kiss. “Poor husband.”

“Hey, don’t laugh at me…. They were dumplings… The ones the old lady in the market makes… with the sweet pork…” He got another kiss and relaxed. “You gonna make me feel better, Baby?”

“You want lovin’ to replace dumplings?”

“They were REALLY good dumplings.”

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“So Zoe married eh?” Ru asked as she finished packing, Malcolm handing her a rolled up scroll that had hung on the wall.

“Yeah, but it’s not the type of guy you think.” He explained. “Married herself a pilot with the attitude as soft as a piece of sponge cake.”

“You don’t say.” She chuckled.

“I’m serious, didn’t hitch a browncoat. Wash may be the man, but he ain’t the one who’s got the britches on in the relationship. More or less of a geek… I reckon that’s how to describe him accurately.” He smirked. “She loves him though, somehow they fit.”

“Opposites attract sometimes.” She exclaimed while zipping her bag up as there were three to carry. “Glad she found love, it’s hard to find I think…. Special someone could be on any one of these worlds.”

Malcolm looked around and saw there was nothing left to pack. “This all there is to load up?”

“That trunk.” She motioned to a large metal box. “Last job I had they paid me with goods since the town was so poor, got lots of fresh provisions I can share with everyone.”

“It that so?” They walked over and picked up the trunk that was humming as its refrigeration system was on.

She nodded her head. “Milk, honey, cider, some eggs, rice, and a side of beef.” Bending down they both grabbed the handles at the opposite ends and lifted it up to hall it out.

“Sounds like we need to have ourselves a feast tanight.” The captain smirked as they headed out the door to load the trunk onto the mule. Just then Kaylee came out of the tiny engine room, covered in grease, and wearing a pout like she had just witnessed someone pass on. “What?”

“Engine’s fried.” She announced glumly. “Work that needs to be done’ll take months.”

“Oh.” Malcolm looked to his new shipmate. “Well, take whatever parts can work on Serenity and we’ll leave this rabbit ta rust.”

“Yessir.” Kayle halfheartedly trudged back to get the parts.

Mal rolled his eyes as they carried the trunk outside to the dirty yellow ATV’s trailer. “Kaylee often gits attached to machines.”

“That’s alright.” Ru grunted as they lifted the trunk up and onto trailer. “I appreciate someone treating a ship with respect like that. You know me, I was once in love with a ‘lil old boat.”

“You were in love with goin’ fast, cheatin’ death and killin’ Alliance. Special forces, live hard, die fast.”

“Yeah, but I loved my ship.” Her voice wistful as she thought of the tiny Independence fighter ship, her love affair with it as deep as her friend’s over his little firefly. “Miss her.”