“You lost,” River insisted, following Jayne into the cargo bay.

“I didn’t, on account of you cheating.” He lay down on the bench, doing up his gloves and lifted down the bar.

“I did not cheat,” River said firmly, standing behind him as if she was spotting him.

“You couldn’t’a drawn a straight like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I dealt ya a single pair.”

She leaned on the bar, pushing it down into his chest. “You mean you were cheating?”

“Sure,” he said, lifting her up with the weights, his muscles bulging. He inhaled sharply as she came back down. “Don’t mean you won, though.”

“So you were cheating.”

“Just said I was, didn’t I?” He exhaled and pushed her up again, stopping just short of locking his elbows. Not a good thing to do with a girl hanging onto him. “But so were you.”

“But you lost.”

“Nope.” He brought her down again. “And that means I ain’t paying up.”

“What’s going on in here?” Mal asked, stepping down the stairs from the bridge. “River, are you trying to …” He stared at her lying across Jayne’s chest and managed to reorganise his thoughts. “What are you trying to do?” he asked instead.

“Jayne is trying to welch on a bet,” the girl said, slipping off the big man.

“I thought I told you not to play for money,” Mal said, reaching the floor. “Not after last time with Hank.”

“I didn’t hurt him that much,” Jayne said, lifting the bar into place and sitting up, massaging his upper arms.

“Enough that I had to do the flying myself for a few days. Couldn’t you have waited until the girls were back before you did that?”

“He got me riled.”

“He won fair and square.”

“Jayne didn’t,” River put in.

“Yeah, and what’s that all about?” Mal asked.

Jayne suddenly looked embarrassed and stood up, almost as if he was afraid to be lying down at this moment in time. “She wants Vera.”

“Your gun?” Mal was shocked and surprised, and more than a little amused. “Why’d you want that, albatross?”

“I want to –“

“She wants to sleep with her. See why I