Alana sat the controls and scanned her way through their plotted course. She sat back and smiled contentedly as she rested in the comfortable pilot's chair. Her peace was suddenly interrupted by Mal and Jayne coming up the stairs carrying about four boxes of cargo each and struggling not only to carry them all but also to see where they were going. She turned to watch them and stifled a giggle as Jayne tripped over the top step and lost control of his top box, which then bounced off Mal's back and knocked two boxes out of his hands.

“Gorram it! Why couldn't we have taken a few at a time, Mal?!”

“Hey, you're the one who has butter fingers! You stow these down the front, I need to get some other things squared away. Alana, have you got our course set? Since this job has gone so well the last thing I want is to run into an Alliance cruiser and have to give up all our bounty.”

“We'll be keeping to the quiet backwaters. It will take a bit longer but the only Alliance that will be out there won't be looking for us.”

“Ok then. Jayne, get these boxes stowed.”

Mal turned and walked out of the cockpit and down the corridor towards the cargo bay. Jayne grumbled and started carrying the boxes one at a time down the short ladder and stacking them in the front of the nose of the ship. Alana sat and watched him as he lifted down another box.

“Do you want some help?”

She stood up and began sliding the boxes over to the edge so he could lift them down easily. He looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back at him and watched slyly as his muscles bunched through his shirt. As he was putting away the second to last box she slipped down the ladder and lifted the box down so she stood holding it in front of her. He turned round expecting to have to step forward to get the last box and instead found himself face to face with her with only the small box between them. She locked him with her steady gaze and he couldn't help but stare back. He gulped and gripped the box and put it down with the rest. When he turned back again she