Warnings: Altered timeline from 'Ariel'

Time period: Between ‘War Stories’ and ‘Trash’

Thanks to lvs2read for the great beta and thunder_nari for the great beta and spurring me on.

~

“You know that’s all kinds of...of...” Jayne can’t seem to find a word, moving backwards and forwards slightly as the doll's eyes follow him. “Ain’t right that’s for sure. What kinda ben dan gonna be payin’ us for these things?” He pokes the doll nearest him, watching its head bob back and forth, painted smile and wide stare fixed on him.

“Captain says they’re a big hit in the Core. He seems to think we can off-load these on Persephone and maybe get some more jobs whilst we’re there.” Wash drums his fingers on the cockpit's dashboard, nudging two of the dolls closer together, a thought occurring to him. “It’s not as fun as some of our other jobs but I, for one, am glad for a little downtime with my wife.” He smiles, edging the doll Jayne’s eyeing closer to him.

Jayne wrinkles his nose, caught between a smirk and a sneer, “Yeah, heard you an’ Zoe were gettin’ it on better now.”

“Better now?” Wash frowns, knowing what Jayne means the moment he asks the question. Since Niska’s skyplex, since the torture and everything else Wash doesn’t want to remember but can’t completely let go. The only thing he wants to remember from then is Mal's dog-eared perseverance in refusing to let him go under, to break. It makes him all the more reassured when Zoe and the captain go on jobs, and all the more understanding of them. He knows he’ll never see it all, never completely get them, but it’s enough. “Who’d you hear that from?”

Jayne grins at Wash’s easy change of subject, leaning closer to the man, invading his personal space, “No one’s been talkin’. I heard you an’ Zoe gettin’ it on better.”

He puts an emphasis on the word that isn’t missed by Wash, the pilot flushing a bright red, lost for words for a moment. Jayne’s grin is all the wider now, snort coming to his throat and Wash scowls, nudging the doll c