Joss’ Verse not mine, no profit occurring, don’t sue.

*****

Scene 1:

(Copia. Farmhouse. Kitchen table. Jayne walks through with his nose buried in a book, grabs an apple in passing. Does not look up.)

SIMON: Was that Jayne?

KAYLEE: Yep.

SIMON: With a book?

KAYLEE: Mm hm. I lent it to him. Guess he likes Gloria Breathless.

MAL: He surely does seem to have taken a shine to literature of late. River, you gonna spout that tea out your nose or just choke on it all quiet like? No? Just wondering.

*******

Scene 2:

(Later that night. Jazmine’s bedroom. Mal and Jazmine are getting ready to turn in.)

MAL: Got something to tell you.

JAZ: News you think I’m not going to like?

MAL: Just so.

JAZ: Yes, Best Beloved?

MAL: Got a job.

JAZ: Knew you’d find work sooner or later. Feeling the gypsy wind already?

MAL: Eight months dirt side. We’re getting a mite restless.

JAZ: We?

MAL: It’s just a short trip. Blow the spiders out of the engine.

JAZ: Can I keep River with me just a little longer? She wants to finish collecting data for her project. She said something about alternating vectors and phase shift. At least I think that’s what she said.

MAL: You want to keep my pilot?

JAZ: You said it’s just a short trip. She seemed adamant about it.

MAL: Not sure how that sits with me.

JAZ: You can take it up with her. I’m done meddling.

MAL: Meddlesome, quarrelsome, worrisome woman.

JAZ: So why do you stick around?

MAL: I fancy the way you smell.

JAZ: And my cooking.

MAL: That too.

JAZ: And my other talents?

MAL: Can’t rightly recollect what those are.

JAZ: Need a quick refresher?

MAL: Shr ah.

*****

Scene 3:

(Parlor the next afternoon. Crew is assembled.)

MAL: Got a job, people. Need to shake the dust off. Just under two weeks round trip if we scurry.

ZOE: What’s the job?

MAL: Pickup nearby. Quick trip to Soonal to deliver a package to Inara, see how she’s faring, then run another to a friend of hers. Back home after that.

ZOE: Sounds simple enough. What’s t