Not my characters (except for Lot!) and no copyright infridgement intended.

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“From plastic novelties to cattle sir? Something just don’t smell right”

“What’s wrong with the smell of cattle? Ain’t nothin’ quite like it!” Jayne grinned, twirling a dagger between his thumb and forefinger. Behind him Serenity’s doors were groaning as they opened, letting in the noise of the throng of people who were passing by outside. Persephone’s ports were busy this morning; traders, slavers, whores and businessmen constituted most of crowd, all of whom were sweating in the sun. It wasn’t a pretty sight, to be sure.

“Inara set down safe?” Wash hopped down the stairs and nodded. “Right.”

“Sir? You don’t seem to be answerin’ me” Zoë masked concern with a false smile, glancing from her husband to her captain. Everything had gone downhill fast, emotions turned from that of hope back to something darker. Darcie had him scared; Zoë hated to admit it, even to herself, but she saw it. It was there behind his words, in how he was acting. Didn’t have to speak it.

“I’m under no impression that Badger is suddenly our friend, dong ma? He ain’t one to suddenly change his mind either. I’m as wary as you, just until we smell that somethin’ ain’t right we play along.”

“Ain’t like we got much choice in the matter”

Mal eyed Jayne.

“You got somethin’ to say?”

“It ain’t like we’ve got folk bangin’ down our door with jobs, we all know it. ‘Verse ain’t what it used to be, bad smell hangin’ in the air or sommat.”

“What air? What smell? I swear it Jayne, you are soundin’ more and more like River.”

Jayne stood bolt upright and growled menacingly at Mal, his leather belt squeaking as he gripped it tighter.

“I ain’t like that feng le girl!”

“That crazy girl is all we got to thank for gettin’ rid of Early and that xiong can girl…ghost…whatever she was.” Not wishing to fall into the same argument again, Mal indicated to Zoë and moved away from Jayne and Wash.

S