Just Business

By Fish and RSB

* * *

“Wait, I’m sorry, could you repeat that? It sounded like you just ordered me to help you rob a bank.”

Captain Malcolm Reynolds looked down at the apple slice in his hand, then back up at Simon Tam and shook his head. “Well, I don’t believe ‘rob’ was quite the word I used. We’re going to the bank to make a completely legitimate withdrawal. Our employer provided us with a key and everything. Just a simple pick-up and delivery. That’s all. Was there anything else you might’a misheard?”

“How about the part where… you ordered me to come?” replied Simon, raising his eyebrows and leaning back in his chair.

“No, you heard that part right,” Mal said casually, wiping his hands on his shirt. “Figure your company might turn me into more of a respectable gent.”

At the other end of the table, Zoe stifled a laugh. “Unlikely.” She paused, and then added, “Sir.”

“Appreciate the support,” Mal returned. He stood up and gave Simon a blunt look. “I’m going to go get changed into something more appropriate. Be ready to go in a half hour.” He stopped halfway out of the mess and turned around. “Did you need me to repeat any of that?”

Simon put his head in his hands and muttered, “How about the part where you ordered me to come?”

Mal tugged irritably at his collar, squinting slightly in the afternoon sun. Glancing over at his companion, he noticed that Simon wasn’t much watching where he was going, too busy scanning the streets for Feds. Although Semele was closer to the Core than Mal preferred, it was far enough that there was relatively little Alliance presence. Pulling open the bank’s heavy brass doors, he gestured politely for the doctor to enter ahead of him. Simon kept his head down nervously as he stepped into the bank, but his eyes snapped up as a tall man plowed into his shoulder, sending him reeling back against the doorframe.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize I was in your way,” Simon grumbled to himself, rubbing his arm and staring at the retreating man’s bac