Disclaimer: These characters and places are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy... Sadly, neither of those are me.

The rifle clicked ominously. She wasn't playing games anymore. Zoe Alleyne wanted him out and she wanted him out NOW. The first time, she excused it for a mistake, him not knowing Serenity and all. The second time, she had gotten a little testy, and the third time she had become downright indignant. Now she was gorram angry.

Wash's eyes drifted over the blurred image of her wet, naked body through the plexiglass door to the walk-in shower. Then, finding her eyes with his, he gave her a sheepish grin. It was the look a schoolboy gave his teacher when he knows he is in trouble but is going to make jokes about it anyway. "Geez Baobei, you always carry a rifle, even in the shower? There bad guys in there that need shootin'?"

"The only bad guys that need shootin' are the ones that constantly come into the bathroom when people are trying to shower. And you call me sweetheart one more time, you'll know the true definition of bad guy. Dong le ma?"

He grinned, "Yes ma'am." he said with a salute and walked off.

Zoe lowered the rifle, then put it on the shower shelf to keep it from getting too wet. She let the hot water wash away the jitters in her stomach that his eyes gave her, and the blush that was hidden by her dark skin.

***

Wash grinned at himself as he poured a cup of coffee. He had seen the way her hand had shook, seen the darkening of her lovely dark face.

Taking a sip, he resolved that he wouldn't walk in on her in the shower again. At least to not get shot if anything. He was rather fond of his kneecaps and would prefer not to have them blown off.

Sitting down at the table, he thought about what she would look like without a plexiglass door between them. He looked up as Mal walked in.

Mal seemed to be in a huffy mood. Wash soon found out that he had gotten in an arguement with the ship's newest member, a fairly unintelligent, but skilled mercenary, named Jayne Cobb.