This belongs to Joss and Mutant Enemy. Just borrowing...

***

"Gorramit, Mal, you're gonna get somebody killed!" Jayne scrambled off of the mule which was sliding back down-hill after the third attempt to follow the horse track over. Mal backed the mule around and cut the engine. He sat there glaring at Jayne, who stood his ground for about three heart beats before he decided to get busy looking for tracks.

"Sir, we're going to have to go after them on foot. We're only an hour behind-"

"About half!" Jayne interrupted. They both sent a dirty look in his direction, but he was oblivious. These tracks were old, they hadn't gone this way. He cast around to pick them up again.

"Alright," Mal said, through his teeth. "We're not leaving the mule sitting here. We've got too much coin tied up in fixing it, and little Kaylee would never forgive me-"

"Sir, she and Wash will never forgive you for not buying that hot new one on Detroit."

"The key word there was 'hot', Zoe. As in very. Fresh new paint job and all. Now, Jaynes' with me and you're taking the mule back to the ship. See about bringing a shuttle or the ship out, if we holler for help." He climbed off the mule.

"Sir, I don't-"

"Zoe, I've got to have Jayne and somebody has got to take the mule back, dong ma?" After a second, he added, "I'll watch my own back this once."

Zoe nodded. "Yes, sir." She slid over and took the drivers seat.

Mal started up the hill on foot. "Me and Jayne'll just take a stroll in the woods-"

Jayne called out from the trees off to the left. "No, Mal, they went this way, around the hill. Come on, we're burning daylight!"

Mal stomped into the woods. "I captain the snarkiest crew in the whole gorram 'verse..."

Zoe smiled and pulled out the boxy comm. "Wash? I'm checking in. The Captain and Jayne are still looking, but he's sending me back with the Mule."

"Glad to hear that, honey. Uh, listen, we sorta sent a shuttle out with Shep-"

"You what?"

***

Shepherd Wall dumped a load of dirty clothes int