Disclaimer: Not mine, no pay.

Thanks: To Jacqui, for friendship, great beta and encouragement, to Josh the Paramedic for medical info and to Rion, my own personal BDH. You guys are the greatest.

Rating: NC15, for adult references, heavy on the angst.

Remarks: Jayne and Kaylee struggle to define their relationship. Set following my most recent story “The Birthday Gift”, after “Objects in Space”. Inara has departed from Serenity and things on board ship are getting more difficult. Click on my name to read the backstory.

Feedback: It make the world go round, makes my day, makes me write like a fiend. Please and thank you.

Leaps of Faith

Chapter Five

Mal strides up the ramp, takes a quick look behind, waves farewell to Monte and shouts over his shoulder, “Jayne, Zoë! Get those crates secured now!” He hits the button to close the ramp and bay doors, then give the order to lift off.

“Wash, get our asses off this rock pronto!”

“You got it. We’ll be outta atmo in about five minutes.”

“Take us out over one of the poles. We’re less likely to bump into any Alliance patrols that way. Just keep your eyes peeled and fly quiet.”

There’s a stack of heavy gray and blue freight containers they’ve just hauled into Serenity’s cargo bay. Jayne leans over one and uses his knife to split the Alliance seal that indicates each crate has been secured, then pops the latches. He raises the lid and whistles when he pulls back the packing.

“Lao-tyen boo, ai ya women wanle! I know you said these was Alliance arms, but gorrammit, Mal, this is state-of-the-art stuff here.”

Mal reaches in and re-covers the weapons. Jayne can barely get his hand clear before Mal slams the lid shut and re-latches it.

“Thank you, Mister Cobb! In case it hadn’t occurred to you, we need these seals intact, so our buyer don’t go wonderin’ if we’re sellin him crates of mutton or some such thing.”

“Gear like this, don’ya think somebody’s ruttin’ well gonna notice it’s