Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss Whedon. I only play with them because I love them.

THE WEDJAT EYE: PT 2

“You want to do what sir?” Zoe asked, almost without any hint of incredulity.

“Take her up for a spin myself. Get behind the controls again.”

“Uh-huh?”

“What? You don't think it's a good idea?”

“Well, you did nearly kill us all that one time, sir. When we went to interview that pilot with a list of recommendations as long as your leg. You know, sir – the one you hired.”

Mal shrugged. “I ain't gonna try anythin' difficult to start with,” he explained, a touch impatiently. “Just fly her in a straight line for a while.”

“Think we got an autopilot for that,” she replied.

“OK! I'll maybe try a few changes of course.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You don't think Wash'll like it, do you?” he leaned towards her, eyes blazing, challenging her to disagree.

“Think he'll hate it, sir.”

“Well then, I'll just have to remind him whose gorram boat this is!” Mal declared, setting his shoulders and stalking off in the direction of the bridge.

******************************

She was resting in their bunk when Wash returned, wild-eyed and with hair that looked at though he'd been tearing at it. Zoe raised a quizzical eyebrow and asked “How'd it go, sweetcakes?”

“Oh, smooth as a very unsmooth thing,” her husband said in a ragged tone. “Zoe, honey, how long has the Captain been psychotic?”

“Think it's a project he's been working on for a while now.”

Wash sat down on the bed next to her and pulled off his boots. “Well I'd say he's just about perfected it. He would win the shiny hat in any competition for psychotics.” He looked at Zoe, his face suddenly very serious. “I don't give a good gorram what he says – what he does – I'm not letting him touch Serenity's controls EVER AGAIN. It's like he's got some kind of death wish. There's something stranger than usual about him, Zoe. And he's not known for his gentle ways.”

She nodded. It w