An odd feeling of anti-climax on the ship. They are safe, unpursued and in possession of their prize, with a course set in for a rendez-vous off Beylix. Reaction takes them different ways. Kaylee is preventing Simon from getting clean and tidy again; he looks just fine to her, all greased up. Simon, against his better judgement, but amused, poses for a capture which will come back to haunt him some day, he fears.

Mal stomps onto the bridge, throws himself into his seat.

“Anything wrong , sir?”

“No, everything’s shiny.” Punches buttons savagely. “I just love falling over necking teenagers on my boat.”

Ah. Zoe sits back. She’s not going to say ‘told you so’. Waits.

“Gorram, Zoe. Girl just looked at me, and said ‘walk on by’, like I ain’t gonna care that she’s bein’...mauled by one of Jayne’s kin!” Bang, stab. “Well, we ain’t keepin’ him. Don’t care how many of them big soft eyes she makes at me.”

Mal’s grinding his teeth. She can hear him. Little devil voice (sounds suspiciously like Wash) prods her to say,

“What does the Doc think on it?”

“Oh, she done told him to walk on by, too.”

Course he’s gonna worry about his li’l albatross. She ain’t more than a bit of a girl, an’ those Alliance hun dan cutting her about an’ all...needs someone as can take care of her (‘cos someone that can leave a whole room of folks in bits needs that, truly.) He’s the Captain, it’s his job to worry, his job to protect her. Should be him telling her that everything was going to be fine, should be him...Mal’s mind slams to a halt.

Don’tthinkthatdon’teverthinkthatgorramit

Mal is aware that the one of architects of their present safety has proved her worth over again. (And that they owe more than a little to the kid.) Turns to Zoe. There ain’t many folks in the ‘Verse got judgement he trusts above his own.

“What do we do now, Zoe?”

“I’m going to have a sleep.” Shrugs, deliberately misunderstands him. “Eight hours to Beylix.”

“Didn’t mean that.” Hand