This is also half Wendy again. ;) So thankies to her. Keep in mind, these are more vignettes than an actual successive plot.

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Jayne sat on the landing of the cat walk, his legs hanging over the edge as he sharpened his bowie knife, keeping an eye on the cargo. Not that it was going anywhere, his jaw clenched with resentment. He was stuck on the ship babysitting Kaylee and River while everyone else except Wash was planetside.

He pressed his blade into the grindstone viciously, even the Doctor got to leave the ship, tagging along after Book in search of some illusive medicine he thought he needed to cure the crazy girl. Even Jayne knew you couldn't cure crazy.

He caught movement below, a flash of honey brown hair and coveralls moving between the crates. He stilled the movement of the blade, watching her kneel down beside the charred Mule to gather the tools she'd been using in her attempts to repair the poor beast. Ever the optimist, thinking she could breath life back into it. 'Course, if anyone could, it was Kaylee.

He stifled a smile, watching her struggle with her overfull tool box for a moment. "You hurt yerself, Mal's gonna blow me out the airlock, Kaylee."

Kaylee whipped around and looked up at Jayne. He was looking mean and ornery up there with a huge knife in one hand. "Oh I'm fine! Just this things seems t' get heavier ever damn time. Can't complain though. I 'member when we hardly had a speck a tools. Now I can't carry 'em all." She set the box down and started to unload some of the larger pieces.

He jumped to his feet, sheathing his knife. "Don't be doin' that. I'll help ya."

Kaylee watched his progress as he made his way down the stairs. "Well, that's nice of ya, thanks. Best be careful though, might start thinkn ya got some soft feelin's in there some where," she said grinning and punched him playfully in the arm.

"Feelin's? What're those?" He replied, keeping a straight face.

"Jayne." She rolled her eyes and started putting the tool back into the b