Disclaimer: Firefly and these characters are the creation of Joss Whedon. I really miss them, Joss! I'd like my sky a little less empty.

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SHIPS IN THE NIGHT.

The moonlight falling on Serenity gives her an opalescent lustre and once again her beauty makes Mal catch his breath. “'S'my ship,” he tells Simon proudly.

“No,” Simon shakes his head, chasing an idea that's flitting through his brain. “'S'our ship now.”

Mal nods seriously as this profound thought. “You're right, Doc. 'S'our ship.” And he slaps Simon companionably between the shoulder blades making him stumble a little.

“She's beautiful,” Simon sighs. “Almost as beautiful as Kaylee...”

Mal snickers. “Still don't think you got the nerve...”

“I mos' certainly do have the nerve,” Simon declares, his speech only slightly slurred. “I will if you will, tha's our deal.”

But Mal's attention is back on his ship. “Look!” he cries as Serenity's cargo bay slowly opens. “I love it when she does that. 'S'like she's welcomin' me home with open arms!”

* * * * * *

Inside the cargo bay Zoe, Jayne and Book peer out anxiously into the night. Mal and Simon are late back from the meet. Very late.

“Well now, there's a sight you don't see every day,” Jayne remarks catching sight of the Captain and the Doctor, arms slung around each other's shoulders, making their way unsteadily towards the ship.

“Oh, my,” Book agrees. “Looks like they ran into problems.”

“Looks like they ran into a bar and stayed there,” Zoe says icily, as the pair stagger up the ramp, bleary-eyed and blinking under the cargo bay lights.

“Cap'n on deck!” Mal announces loudly, before falling flat on his face.

“That you are, Sir,” Zoe agrees, pulling him back to his feet. “You drunk, Sir?”

“Well, I'm no doctor, Zoe. But I think you might not be wrong there....” And he nuzzles his head into her shoulder, oblivious to the furious look she's giving him.

“That ain't good,” Jayne says. “Us stuck on this godforsaken rock, looking for work, with ou