Mal swore under his breath.

Why? Why does this always happen to him? Everything can be going dandy for a while and then smack! We are right back in the throws of Hell again.

Badger looked up at him with that dumb derby hat on.

“Well, Mal. Don’t we have a predicament? I have a job that needs to be done and you have a ship to run. You know. I’m liking this little back-and-forth spat we having going on but now I’m getting tired of it. You take the job or you don’t but remember who pays you.”

“We discussed this before and before we have come to some amicable mid-way between me not running slaves for you and you not asking me to.” Mal had spoken as tightly as possible without tipping off Jayne and Zoe that this deal could either go two ways. The good way or the dead way. Mal preferred the first.

“I know we had and me tends to change my mind a little.”

Mal could feel himself heating up in the patronizing tone Badger was wiping all over him. The crew was down to their last morsel of food and less than a one fuel cell to even get the engines started. He knew better. Mal would have to put aside his morals, well, what morals he did have left, and take the job.

As if Zoe suddenly became the reader in his dysfunctional family, she whispered just low enough for Mal to hear and Jayne to look dumb.

“ We don’t have to deal. There are other jobs”

Mal just gave her the “we already had this conversation look” and turned back to Badger.

It seemed that he was enjoying Mal’s defeat a little too much, which ticked Mal even more.

“Fine. We ship-out at 15:00. Have your cargo and my money on my boat by then.” Mal swiftly turned on his heel and left the make-shift tent. He didn’t wait for Jayne and Zoe to catch up. He had too much to think about without having to deal with Jayne’s snide remarks.

*****

Simon stood there arms crossed like an angry father.

These two had a knack for getting in trouble and although he adored both of them, this type of trouble he was willing t