Author's Note: The first part of what will probably be two. I'm new here, so I hope I'm doing everything right. This is turning out gen so far, but will probably end up as Mal/Simon. The high rating is because there's no R, and I wanted to be on the safe side--one of the throwaway OC's is less than well behaved.

"You're staying here," Mal snapped. "River too. We can't risk it, the Alliance presence is too strong here and now we've got bounty hunters after us too—besides, your leg is still healing."

"My leg is fine," Simon said calmly. "There's only a scar left. River and I can help, if you'd only let us."

"I don't want you help," Mal said, smiling tightly. "Now get out of sight."

"Captain," Simon said, some of his irritation bleeding through, "we want to try and make up for what happened and we can't do that if…"

"Make up for what, doc?" Mal interrupted. "River got the bounty hunter good, and you're the only one got hisself shot."

"Be that as it may," Simon said, trying to retain his calm. "He was only there because of us and things could have easily gone differently. We're becoming a burden and I don't want…"

"Fine," Mal snapped. "If you feel so strongly about it then maybe you should leave. Otherwise, get your ass back to your quarters like I said."

Simon glared for a moment, but then turned and walked back inside. Mal tried not to notice the slight limp as he stepped out on Persephone beside Zoe. He glanced back up at Jayne, who sat cleaning Vera on one of the crates, apparently oblivious to the argument of moments before. "Stay alert," Mal called to him. "We'll be back in a couple a hours."

Jayne nodded, waving him off distractedly. Mal frowned a bit, but with his hand hovering over his pistol followed Zoe to their rendezvous with Badger. Mal really wasn't looking forward to seeing the man again, but they needed the work, and their last dealings had at least gone somewhat better than the first. If you didn't count the whole nearly-fatal stabbing, that was, and really, th