Warnings: Altered timeline from 'Ariel'

Time period: ‘Trash’

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

~

Mal's ear aches, itching where Zoe’s done her best using that fancy equipment Inara brought back. Except she isn’t all that used to it, and now Mal conjures his ear’s wonky; it still hurts from time to time, especially when he gets hot or cold, and now Mal is in a fair foul mood. Naked and fuming, kicking up the sands of the desert as he watches Saffron fly away with his shuttle. Screaming words after her that he’s sure would make her smile rather than take offence.

It doesn’t take long for the anger to drain from him and the sand to get too hot to bear standing on. Mal finds himself a smoothish looking rock, and perches awkwardly until he finds a comfy spot and sighs. Should have seen this one coming, was a time he would have, too. Damn woman played him again. He just hopes Inara’s kept up her end of the job, can at least get them the Lassiter.

That went well.

At least if they get the Lassiter it’s all panned out well enough, though getting his clothes back would be nice, too. Not that Mal would mind the being naked so much if there was shade, but the sun's especially high and his rock's about the only protection around. The rock’s warm but he’d rather not burn his feet or pigu on the sand and he can’t do much but wait. Serenity will be coming for him, he knows it.

Times like this, alone with himself, he enjoys the quiet, finds it a welcome distraction from his own thoughts. Not that his thoughts seem at all distracted right now, crowding his mind, acting like the Lassiter-getting’s a forgone conclusion as he runs through what to do with the take. Fancy take too, enough to keep Serenity flying, the crew's bellies full and some left over. Which he’s got to be talking to the crew about. He knows they won’t be complaining or disagreeing with him if he takes most of the rest to use in getting Simon back.

“No one works for free.”