Simon handed Zoe a pink silk bag when they met up. He was dead silent the whole trip back ta the ship.

Jayne kinda wished he’da said somethin’, so he could pick on’ ‘im real good.

He headed straight for the showers without a word as soon as they set foot on the ship.

Jayne grinned after ‘im.

“How’d it go?”

Jayne turned around. Mal was standin’ by Zoe, lookin’ after the doc, too.

Zoe handed him the pink silk bag. Mal opened it and looked inside.

“Seems our Mr. Pink has more than one occupation.” He tossed the bag ta Jayne.

Jayne caught it an’ looked inside.

There were five little paper-wrapped cylinders. Jayne didn’t have ta open them up ta know what was inside.

Kosu weed.

Shiny.

***

“’Jever… ‘jever want somethin’ real bad?”

Jayne looked over at Kaylee, eyein’ the hills and valleys of her tight tank top for a long minute.

Yup.

“Like… well, like an apple.”

An apple?

Jayne took a long drag from the little kosu weed cigarette between his fingers and held it out to Kaylee.

“Sure. Why not.”

Kaylee took a drag and held it for a long time. She let it out real slow with a long, happy purr. “Can’t get stuff like this most places.”

Jayne nodded, leaning his head back against the hull.

“Pity how no one else cares fer the finer things in life. Simon did good.”

Kaylee’s voice was low and husky from the smoke. Slow. Drawn-out. Jayne liked it that way. Truth was, he didn’t mind none that it was just him and Kaylee sittin’ here.

He shifted and pulled a rock out from under him. He stared at it for a bit, then tossed it away.

“So… you really want this apple, right?”

Jayne looked over at her, squinting against the smoke.

Kaylee held the cigarette out for him. “An this apple is all you really think about. Night an’ day.”

Jayne took the cigarette from her.

“An’ finally you get a hold’ve one. A whole… a whole crate of real shiny apples. And you really want the apples. And turns out the apples want you back.”

Kaylee was staring