Disclaimers : Everything belongs to Joss, except for one character of my creation.

As regards that character - hopefully she's not so much of an obnoxious Mary Sue that she turns people off, but the story basically wrote itself in my head and needed to get out. This is my first fanfic ever, and the first writing of any sort I've done in awhile, so all comments are appreciated!

Rated PG for most of the story, mostly for salty language. There is some sex, but not for a few chapters yet. I'll try to put a warning at the beginning before it happens!

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“Passenger? Where we gonna put a passenger?” Jayne spat his question sourly at Mal as Serenity came to rest on the dock. Mal, waiting to open the airlock, did not answer or even look at him.

Kaylee entered the cargo bay, shrugging out of her mechanic’s coverall to reveal the jeans and floral top she wore beneath. “Whaddya mean where we gonna put one, Jayne. In the passenger dorm, where we always do!”

Jayne snorted. “Awful gorramn crowded in there.” He glanced at Shepard Book standing, arms folded, a few feet away. “Present company excluded, Preacher.”

He addressed Kaylee again. “I was referrin’ to the fancy doc you got yer panties in a bunch over, and that bugshit sister’a his. We been from the head end of the ‘verse to the ass and back again and passed through a million good places for ‘em to disembark—but for reasons I ain’t been able to wrap my brain around, they’re still here.”

He shot Mal another look, which was once again disregarded. Kaylee opened her mouth to respond, but Jayne stalked off, shaking his head and mumbling.

They needed a passenger badly. Their last job had gone south—way south—when Niska’s goons kidnapped Mal and Wash. Not only had the job been aborted, but both the money and the goods had been lost; and all the money that was left from their previous job had been turned over to Niska in Zoë’s attempt to rescue the