"No, Jayne. This is not a thing that I'm allowin' you to be carryin' out." Mal was in no mood to be discussin' Jayne's penchant for bringing firearms planetside.

"Aw, c'mon Mal! I never get to take Vera anywhere nice!" Jayne held his favorite gun up lovingly, hoping the sight of her would make Mal give in. "I can't keep her locked up in here all the time. Vera needs some action."

"Jayne, you took Vera out and got her all dressed up to shoot that net six months back. And that was more excitement than I was comfortable with at the time. I ain't plannin' on bein' in a situation needs gunfire." Mal passed Jayne and went to the door of his own bunk, intending on changing shirts and polishing up his boots. Jayne grunted and left the crew bunks and went into the cargo bay, taking Vera with him anyway.

Zoe looked up as she heard Jayne's boots stomp loudly into the cargo bay. "Jayne, I really don't think the captain'll hold to you bringin' Vera." Zoe smiled, almost amused at seeing Jayne affectionately caressing the barrel of his prized gun. She'd never seen Jayne do anything affectionately the whole time she'd known him.

"C'mon, Zoe, you got a gun and so does he. Ain't you both takin' yer guns?"

"Jayne, they're pistols. You're practically carrying around a missle launcher." Jayne grabbed his crotch and leered at her. Zoe just rolled her eyes "'Sides, Captain doesn't think we're too like to run into any trouble."

"Gorrammit, it don't matter what Mal says. We're fairly damn like to run into trouble everytime Mal says we ain't." Jayne shook his head and looked around for his polishing compound and cloth for Vera.

"And, I'm fairly certain the reason we get into so much trouble when I don't plan on it is because we're expectin' trouble." Mal strode into the cargo bay and passed Jayne, still talking. "And havin' such artillary on us just means we're expectin' on the worst. Dong le ma? Xinren wo."

*****

"I'm just goin' shoppin with 'Nara, sweetie. I promise I'l