The usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not my own, but very gratefully borrowed.

The previous chapter was more of an introduction, and sets the scene for this one. It takes place approximately 4 months after Heart of Gold, which was aired last in the series over here. Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn't seen that yet.

For those who may not know….

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

(excerpt from The Second Coming, W.B. Yeats)

Things Fall Apart - Chapter 2

The bar is crowded, dirty, noisy and obviously not in the expensive end of town. It’s mid afternoon and the place is full of a variety of spacer riff-raff from the nearby shuttle-port. A vid-screen is playing a noisy re-run Western above the bar, and a couple of pool tables are seeing heavy business. Wash, Zoe and Jayne are sitting at a table near the entrance, and by the number of empties it’s obvious that they’ve been there a while.

Jayne put down his mug. “Hey, I’m jus’ sayin’ that we can’t sit around hopin’ something better’ll come along. We gotta be thinkin’ of our options, is all.”

Wash, who has one arm around Zoe, shrugged. “I don’t see the Captain going for it. Heck, I wouldn’t go for it if we had anything else likely on the horizon.” He looks to Zoe. “We got anything else likely on the horizon?”

“Nothing that pays,” she replied. “And we haven’t got the fuel to get us somewhere that might.”

Jayne scowled into his beer. “We ain’t had nothin’ worth doin’ since Inara left. Never would’ve thought one whore could make such a diff’rence.”

“Jayne,” Zoe said, voice icy, “You use that word in the same sentence as Inara again – ever – and I’ll let River play with you.”

“And I’ll be selling the tickets to the show,” Was