Note - the first three lines are taken from the episode "Out of Gas". Also, standard "these characters don't belong to me" applies.

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“You offerin’ me a job?” Asks Kaylee with a girlish grin.

“I believe I just did.” Replies Mal.

“I just gotta ask my folks....don’t leave without me!”

A few moments later after Mal reflects on what just transpired between his current mechanic and a prairie harpy, Mal interjects “best I go with ya.”

“Sure thing…shouldn’t take us but more than 15 minutes to walk over there.”

While the brain trust of the tattooed man ponders why Mal would need 2 mechanics, Mal and Kaylee make their way to Kaylee’s folks house.

“Pappie!” Shouts Kaylee as she enters a dirty room that resembles a mixture of an old parts depot and a chop shop.

“’sthat you swee’pea?” replies a robust gentlemen who is on a rollerply under a half-completed hovercraft. “Where ya’ been? Hankerin’ around with that no good gwang zhu dang of a tattooed rat I’ll bet!”

He slides out from under the hovercraft, wrench still in hand, laughing up a good laugh. He starts to get up and looks over at Mal. “who’s this? Some new fancy doctor you got all girly for? Zhang zhung phang it all girl! You know I ain’t approve of no goodie-goodie doctors in my shop!”

“I ain’t no doctor sir, just a man lookin’ for a top notch mechanic for my ship” says Mal, hoping to change the subject.

“Well, I’m too old to be of any use to you son, so you best be on your way,” says the round man.

“I ain’t come here for you sir, I came to ask for your daugh…”

“ask for me daughter! Well son I hardly know ya, and by the looks of ya, I don’t wanna. I didn’t spend 8 years of my life building engines for Blue Sun to earn my freedom, come out here, and see my daughter marry some fancy-schmancy fool like you!” Pappie says with a smile. He turns around and in the process winks at Kaylee.

Kaylee instantly blushes and spurts out “but Pappie, I love this one! You always chase away men comin’ for me!”

“ah…sir…I…ah…just need a mechanic, and…ah…well…your daughter seems like a mighty fine one. I ain’t lookin’ for no wife, and….ah…Kaylee here just ain’t my type…”

“oh, so she ain’t your type…what are you sayin’s wrong with my daughter? Not fancy enough for you I see…well then go on and get…shoo” as Pappie waves him away.

Mal shakes his head in utter disbelief and as he starts to walk away, he says under his breath, “I guess that’s what I get for fixin’ to hire a prairie harpy”…

“Now hold on there sir,” shouts Pappie, “I see you’re a Browncoat. Spent some time fixin’ up engines for you and your kind in the war. That’s why I lost my job. You need a mechanic…well ya’ ain’t gonna find one better in the ‘verse than my Kaylee here. She’s a natural. It’s okay by me…but you gotta promise to buy somethin’ from our shop!”

Mal walks toward Pappie and shakes his hand in agreement. He turns to Kaylee and says “you ok with this?”

“Uh, huh…butcha gotta promise me ya ain’t gonna treat me like no ‘hired help’, I ain’t nobodies zhu gang dung. I’m one of the crew!”

“Done.” Says Mal, and they turn to walk away.

“What about the purchase?” says Pappie “tain’t gonna buy nothin’?”

Back at the ship, Zoe and Wash are bickering back and forth as they store the goods. In the distance they see a four wheeled scooter throwing up smoke and howling like it has a few bolts loose.

As Mal and Kaylee pull up, Zoe shouts “nice wheels, sir. What junkyard did you turn upside down to find that piece? It looks like a mule...sir.”

“Don’t ask.” Says Mal, and then he turns to Kaylee, “can you fix this junker?”

Kaylee walks to Serenity’s hull and pushes her hand against the walls. “Yeah, I can keep her runnin’, but she don’t take kindly to you callin’ her a junker”

After a moment of confusion Mal replies “I was talkin’ about the “mule”!” He walks over to Zoe and motions to walk with him. “I don’t know about this one Zoe…”

“Sir, I can say with confidence, that she’s a better fit than the whack job of a pilot we’ve got……Sir.”