So I decided that the fic needed a good action-driven plot. Yay for Jobs!!

Finding Common Ground

Chapter 2: Just for Kicks

Zoë was the first to notice something different.

When she had come up for a bit of the tasteless protein Kaylee called breakfast, she had seen Mal sitting by himself. Not unusual for him. Lately he spent much of the time wandering the ship, and the promise of a job meant that he would spend more time planning.

Planning and scheming. She did like that about her friend.

What made her look at him twice was the smile.

It wasn't the sad smile he was wont to get around her or around River. The sad smile that only went to his mouth to quirk it just slightly to one side as he looked at them with a measure of guilt and sadness. The smile that desperately made her want to give him a hearty punch to tell him that she was doing fine.

Even when she wasn't.

Still wondering what the smile meant, she moved over to the kitchenette and spooned some protein out of the container Mal had already dug into. The sloppy mess, runny and smelling faintly of rubber, made her stomach queasy and she pressed her hand to her mouth to keep the sickness down. When she regained control of her stomach, Zoë grabbed a spoon and began to head towards the table, all the while staring at Mal and wondering.

No, this smile was something she hadn't seen in many months. Typical of the man, she supposed, after so many years of knowing him he would still like to throw her off. She had almost become used to the melancholy and the sullen nature he had had more of in the past six months. Now, he had to simply change just to keep from being any sort of ordinary.

This was the boyish, smug grin that lit up his eyes and made them wistful. The same smile that eased the lines of tension on his face and made him look years younger. He was drumming his fingers on his cup and even Mal's way of drumming his fingers made Zoë instantly suspicious.

Mal's head jerked suddenly, as if he