PART TWO

Say it's the same sun spinning in the same sky

Say it's the same stars streaming in the same night

Tell me it's the same world whirling through the same space

Tell me it's the same time tripping through the same day....

Tell me it's the same blood breaking in the same head

Say it's the same taste taking down the same kiss

Say it's the same you

Say it's the same you and it's always been like this

Labyrinth – The Cure

Mal made damn sure Saffron was safe in her very secure custody, delivering warnings to the relevant authorities about her duplicitous ways. After that, he and the others helped Fess go through her stuff, both for evidence and for swag. The clothes were redistributed to various grateful female Mudders (and indeed, one man, but questions weren't asked). The authorities had dusted practically everything for prints and taken away evidence. Under the floor of Saffron's one room shanty des res was a small supply of coin, a couple of guns and jewels. Jayne declared the guns as being beneath his notice, which diminished their worth to anyone else. Fess put them in the safe in his house. The coins were divided as equally as possible between the remaining foremen and Fess took the jewels for his lover. So, there wasn't much more than tins of food for the Serenity crew.

*

Fess smiled at Mal and Jayne, “I'm sorting a reward for you, don't worry.”

“Can you do something terminal 'bout that ruttin' love-bot the Mudders have made of me?”

Fess' smile widened, “It's become a bit of a fixture and favourite with the Mudders, and Buddha knows, they haven't got much in the way of entertainment. They wanted to replace the statue and presented me with hard-earned cash and pleas. I made them keep their money and commissioned the bot myself; the little they'd presented to me wasn't even close to enough.”

Jayne looked at Mal, “Can I hit him now?”

Fess held up his hands, trying to placate Jayne, “All it does is sing the song they wrote for you and other songs to order. Nothing else.”

“So it ain't