Title: Undercurrents

Author: Ana Sedai

Rating: PG

Character(s): BDC (Big Damn Crew)

Prompt: 039 - Dusk

Word Count: 998

A/N: 14/100 for M/R Joss100. Yes, I'm still here, and desperately wishing the end of the school year will hurry up already. I do want to get these done before I turn old and gray. ;)

Summary: Day is done, everyone’s whole, and dinner is served. Some observations are made.

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A dinner that wasn’t protein pack-based was a rare event on the ship, and usually only took place right after they’d gotten paid. Naturally, everyone tended to be in a good mood on such occasions.

Simon and Kaylee had scoured the local market for some halfway decent meat. Kaylee had pounced on the strawberries the second she’d seen them. They’d even managed to get their hands on some fresh vegetables. In short, it was the best damn meal the crew had enjoyed in quite awhile.

The conversation flowed better, too, and this time the subject happened to be their earlier meeting cum job offer.

“…So Badger’s tryin’ to get River alone for a little ‘conversation’. Nice as you please, the Cap’n asks him if he’s at all attached to the hat he’s wearin’ or the head that’s wearin’ it, ‘cause both were about to be riddled with holes.” Zoë always relished it when someone what deserved it got the what-for. “Badger just winks at River and saunters away, though I must say I’ve never seen a saunter at such high speed before.”

Mal, of course, tried to play it down. “I didn’t say that! I jus’ felt that I should give the man a little friendly warning, is all. Didn’t care to see our payday get unsmooth if’n he took it in his head to take on our little warrior woman here.”

Never mind that he’d wanted to rip the twitchy weasel a new one all throughout the entire exchange. He put the brakes on that particular train of thought right away.

River pursed her lips at him and sat up all prim and proper-lik