Title: The Contract / Revenge 3/5

Author: hisgoodgirl

Disclaimer: Joss's toys, my make-believe. No money changed hands and all that.

Paring: Jayne/Kaylee

Rating: PG-15 for adult language, sexual references.

Compliment to my story, THE CONTRACT. To read my other stories, click on my name above. This falls between "RED" and "Too Little, Too Late", post OIS, pre BDM.

Technical assistance from my very own bigbadman, with beta by the lovely Artemis_Prime. Italics indicate time and represent internal dialogue.

A little thoughtful feedback would make my day, folks. Thanks!

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Four days later, back on Persephone…

Kaylee tip-toed from Jayne’s bunk in the wee hours of the morning to check on an odd vibration rattling the ventilation system. By the time she’d resolved the problem, her fellow crewmembers had consumed everything resembling breakfast except the dregs of the coffee. She poured the murky, dark liquid into a blue enameled cup and wandered over to where Mal, Jayne and Zoë still sat talking at the big table.

“’Mornin’, mei-mei.” Mal raised his mug to greet her and the other two chimed in. Noting her smudged face, he smiled. “Looks like you started work a bit earlier than the rest of us folk.”

“’Mornin’, Cap.” The mechanic nodded to her shipmates and slid into the seat next to Zoë, stifling a yawn.

“Yeah. Finally figured out what was makin’ that weird intermittent rattlin’ in the vent system. Piece of baffle had broke loose and was buzzin’ against the housing of the atmo-recirculator.”

“Well, that’s a nice piece a work! Confound thing was makin’ the damndest racket.” Mal finished the last swallow of his tea, pushed his chair back from the table and stood. “Zoë and I are gonna be makin’ sure this grain shipment gets loaded and delivered to our buyer. Since you got your work done early, why don’t you cut loose? Just keep your eyes open and be sure you’re back on board by nightfall. Don’