Apparently Genevieve was an excellent counterfeiter herself.

She and Sterling made quite the fake Companion Registry for Inara. They had her make a video Wave to show her interest in his open proposal, which was sent along with the fake registry to Badger through a remote account that when scanned said it came from a large transport ship owned by a Sun Fu Luxury Transport. Within fifteen minutes he dropped a delighted response Wave, and like that, the man who had filched Virgil East with counterfeit had been caught hook, line and sinker by some different counterfeiting.

Mal climbed down into their bunk just in time to see Inara in her unmentionables. The red panties and matching strapless brazier. She was preparing herself, she appeared like she was fresh of scented oil, and she had washed, dried and styled her hair so it was curls of sweet smelling black silk.

She saw him through the mirror and turned, just finishing putting on fresh makeup as her dress was hanging nearby.

“I uh… I brought…” Mal gulped and braced himself. He was taken back by her and her lack of clothing, and all of the impure thoughts that came along with it. One of those particular thoughts being about the perfect curve of her derrière and how her lacy unmentionables hugged that curve. Since Meilin had come around, there wasn’t a whole lot of adult time between them. One of the perils of parenthood.

Inara looked at his face, then down to his fly, highly amused as well as having a similar feeling in regards to their lack of union. She was just more subtle.

Mal realized and blushed. Biting his lip, he used a hand to cover his nethers as he stumbled for words. “Well… you uh….”

“I’ll take it as a complement.” She slipped on her silk robe as the captain turned around to compose himself.

“I came in.. well… we’re settin’ down in ten at the Westboard Docks. It’s a few miles out of the way,” he turned, saw she was decent and faced her “but it’s necessary, seeing as he’ll get a notion if we parked on his territory.”

“So how exactly am I going to get a ride to his territory?”

“Your shuttle. You’ll make an excuse for the lack of furnishings and tell him you do business in whatever setting he chooses. Even if it ain’t Companion custom he’s too Rim brained ta know.” He handed her a holster and a small pistol he had gotten from Jovie. “Just in case, six shots, already racked since it took some muscle.” He pulled out the gun. “Hit the safety right here, then…”

“I know how to fire that.” Inara said, wiping the words out of his mouth as she took the holster, gun, and walked to the bed. “Ni shi-wu huan jian-wang shi zhi lai shi wu li yi bing.” Putting her leg up on the mattress, the silk slid down to expose the supple meat of her thigh.

Mal felt the saliva pool in his mouth something fierce. “Well, just wanna make sure I cover all the bases.” He watched as she fitted the holster around her thigh as well as snapped a thin belt around her waist to keep it hitched up in such a high area. Mal turned his head, for the sake of his libido, and clamped his teeth so his tongue wouldn’t loll out of his mouth. If it weren't for the fact that she had to keep up her appearance, he knew he would have been all over her and certain parts would be getting reaquainted. “So, you know your part of the plan?”

“Do you know yours?” Inara slid the pistol into the holster.

Mal suddenly remembered why there was nothing sexier than a woman with a gun. “I’m the one that came up with the plan.”

“That’s what worries me.”

Mal furrowed his brow, forgetting about buns, thighs, guns and everything else northernly . “Hen-hao bao-han wo, what’s with the sour talk?”

“I’m sorry but your last plan was full of vengeance, poor engineering and wouldn’t to have had to have even existed if you would have just talked to Virgil.” Inara went over and took her dress off of the hook.

“I didn’t call him cause I didn’t think he’d say yes.” When she dropped her robe, he had to yank his head away, because he had just tamed the beast and... well he didn't know if he could do it again. “Decided on the element of surprise thank you very much. And besides, this ain’t that plan.”

Inara allowed the dress to slide over her head. It was red silk, with small, intricate golden blossoms embroidered on the expensive fabric. The skirt had a revealing slit to one side, and was straight as the top fit her small waist perfectly and the cleavage was alluring. The sleeves fell off her shoulders as she pulled her hair out from under the fabric and fixed it. “I just want to be sure you know what your doing.”

“I’ve done this since the war, Darlin’, just dustin’ off the boots so to speak.”

Inara opened a box and took out her last necklace and set of earrings, the others having been sold to help the ranch. She put on the necklace, simple yet elegant with gold and a few ample garnets. “I hope you’ve gotten the dust off.” She fixed the clasp “So to speak.”

“I just love all this support.”

“Mal, I support you. I’m just…”

“Skeptical?” He offered, the word charged.

“Can you blame me?” She attached one chandelier earring of small garnets, face expression a thin layer of vexation.

Mal opened his mouth, but struggled to serve a comeback. “Well you gotta have faith in me.” He finally announced, though the tone lacked conviction.

Inara finished putting on her earrings and went over to him with honest eyes. “I do every day.”

Mal, was mighty confused. “You do?”

“Yes, though it's frequently tested.” she sighed, giving him a gaze of reassurance and strength “Why else would I be out in the middle of the prairie,” she rested her palm on the side of his jaw, taking in how he nearly turned into a puddle under her touch “and not somewhere in the Core trying to rebuild elsewhere?”

"You sure know how to talk pretty to me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simon was well dressed.

He had on slacks, his pressed white shirt and a plum colored waistcoat. He slung the shoulder holster on, and tucked the revolver into the holster. Taking a deep breath he slid on a dark frock coat.

"It's summer where you're doin' crime."

He turned to see Kaylee watching him. She walked in and signaled him to take off the jacket.

"You'll overheat in that fancy wool coat." She picked up the other holster and reached around him, wrapping it around his waist and buckling it. It was dark leather, with an engraved buckle that held floral designs. Pike was kind enough to let him borrow it. "This'll do ya, don't gotta conceal the revolver none." She even bent and tired the strap around his leg.

"Well thank you." He lay the coat and shoulder holster on the hammock, putting the revolver in the drop holster.

Kaylee straightened up, smoothing out his vest. "Just want ya ta be prepared, goin' in with the cap'n 'n all. If I hadn't caught it you'd go off in the hot sun with a winter coat... and you'd have a gun in a holster I know you don't even know how ta draw out of."

Simon set his hands on her hips and gave her a thoughtful kiss. "Your attention to detail is highly appreciated, but bao-bei, I'm going to be ok." He touched foreheads with her intimately, the pad of his thumb rubbing the fabric of her coveralls. Truth be told, he barely knew how to draw out of a drop holster, East had pulled him aside for a crash course that morning.

"I just got reason ta worry." She said in a soft, fretful tone.

"Sorry to interrupt." Pike in the doorway of the engine room garnered the couple's attention. He was dressed for the job in similar attire they had first met him in. "However I'll watch him, make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Thanks Pike." Kaylee sincerely toned as she was given a kiss on the forehead.

"I hate to break you two up, but I must make off with Dr. Tam, seems we're needed in a horrible bout of crime I'm afraid."

"Yes, crime." Simon exhaled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mal leaned into Zoe’s ear and smoothed her hair out of her face. “Just give me a few more hours.” He told her, his voice both warm towards her and pleading. "You hold for me. Understand? You hold."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

River walked into the cargo bay.

She had on her maroon dress, combat boots, brown coat, and had her katana slung over her shoulder.

Boston yaowled unpleasantly.

Picking him up, she set him on a crate. "Stay home." River told the feline.

The kitty twisted his ears back, sinking into a low ball with a lashing tail.

Sterling hit the button for the cargo bay door, and it opened with a mechanical groan as the ramp dropped with a puff of dust. "Yew ready fer our job Miss River?"

"With her reputation?" Fiyero said while coming down the catwalk, bow staff in hand. "I suspect Miss All Powerful'll to outshine us all. She's a dancer, don't ya know." The hovermule was already lowered and ready to move out as he jumped into the driver's seat. He reclined, draping his arm over the steering yolk to assume the job of driver, looking smug as he flipped switches. "Ready for a wild ride?" However there was a swift crack to his head, and he yelped and ducked.

Emma stood next to the hovermule, telling her student with her eyes to get in back and stop goofing around.

He gave a sour look, rubbing the side of his head whilst crawling in back.

Sterling chuckled and shook his head. "Ya never learn, Lad."

River giggled and went over to the hovermule, climbing in back and settling there with Fiyero. Reaching up, she rubbed the side of his head. "I'm ready for the job. Don't know if Fiyero is, blow to the head may hinder his already strained perception."

"I thought you were on my side. What happened to the friendship? The bonding? Solidarity? I ain't feelin' it." He griped. "Wo pa wo bi bu-ceng zou-wei ni tong-yi."

"Poor boy, you're special in your own way." She teased.

"I'm afraid to know what that means." Mal said as he came in from the infirmary. He watched as Sterling got into the hovermule, the weight of the mesh of brawn and metal making the yellow craft sink a touch as he took a seat in the back. "You guys know the job?"

Boston howled, feeling left out.

River gestured him to go upstairs.

The cat jumped down and sulked up to the helm as he had been mentally told to.

"Know it 'n ready fer a bitta action, Sir." Sterling flashed his toothy smile that made the gap right in the middle of his upper set obvious.

"Good man." Mal patted the side of the mule, Simon, Kaylee, Pike, Wren, Roxy and were all coming in through the passenger dorms. The last to trail in as locked and loaded as Jayne, just shorter in stature. "Kaylee you fixed the weight ratio on this?"

"Mule can fit one more without slowin'." She told him.

"Sounds like my cue." Wren kissed her husband swiftly.

"You have the list?" Pike reminded her, holding onto her briefly by the flight suit hanging off of her hips. Her snug tee on display with a cartoon monkey screened on the front

The co-pilot pulled up her arm to show the list inked on the inside of her forearm. "The list."

"Good." Pike kissed Wren again. "No bullet holes?"

"Lao-gong, flight suit's plated plus we've packed armor." She pulled away from him.

"I know, but I find I like you better in an unscathed way." He let go as she tromped over and jumped in the driver's seat, Sterling digging into the back hatch and tossing her a black armor vest. Threading her arms through the sleeves of the vest, Wren pressed a button and magnetized clasps buzzed and locked together so it became on single piece that fit her like a glove. She gave a thumbs up to her husband as Emma took to the front, silent and unnervingly calm.

Simon came up to the hovermule. "River..."

"I'll be careful, you be smart." She cut him off. "Like I know you are."

"Right." Simon sighed, backing up as Wren put the hovermule in gear.

"Happy hunting." Virgil said from the landing above, the bright light from above making him look like a radiant, all powerful being.

Fiyero saluted him as they pulled out and left.

Simon tried not to appear worried as Kaylee came up to him and rubbed his back. It was bad enough when she went with Mal on daring jobs, but she was going with people who he barely knew.

With a clatter of boots on metal Jayne headed down the stairs first, East and Genevieve following him. He saw Roxy and grinned at her, from the enormous semi automatic handguns to the giant automatic rifle resting on her shoulder that looked heavier than her along with the belt of ammo across her chest. "Nice gear." He held Vera up, cigar betwixt his teeth.

"I like ta dress my sexiest for work." She said with a huff of cigarette smoke and a smirk that would make a fox proud.

"Vieve," Mal greeted as she came with her lean frame clothed in old military togs and strapped to the nines "you look fit ta kill."

She gave a rare smirk, drpping with sarcasm. "You always know how to make a girl blush."

"There's a cat, acting sullen on the helm." Jovie announced from the catwalk.

"Just leave 'im be, he's sore cause he got left." Mal said, distracted for a moment because Virgil was dressed in black slacks tucked into his boots, crisp linen shirt, gold and brown silk double breasted waistcoat, black silk puff tie, a black rifle frock coat that went to his ankles and finally a black western hat with telescope crown and a kettle curled brim that looked to be worth more than Mal had ever made on a job. "Jovie... you settled on the helm?"

"Shi xian-sheng."

"Kaylee?"

"Meilin's already in my hammock."

"Good, cargo door stays open until we're all back. Anyone comes lookin' for trouble I want you ta lock yourself in the engine room with Meilin. Jovie's more than trained to handle whatever could go awry. Dong-ma?" He snapped the collar of his own coat as East came down, his eyes following the other captain.

"What?" Virgil took note of the odd expression as Roxy bid her lover goodbye.

"You really are a decked out peacock."

Virgil didn't waste energy on being offended. "Style Mal, you don't gotta kill folk and look homely doin' it." He tipped his hat to Kaylee before heading out the door, the others following him as Mal caught up with his stride.

"Well shiny buttons and the like make for easy targets, genius." Mal said as the summer sun of Persephone hit his face. The docks were a hive of people going about life as the two captains led their team.

"There's a certain point in your career Mal, where you're so damn good you're allowed shiny buttons."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man gaurding the entrance to the tunnel of sea trains on the Eavesdown Docks glared at the group of five people in front of him.

"What's your business." He growled, finger on the trigger of his gun.

River narrowed her eyes.

Emma came forward, doing a mental sweep she made sure the coast was clear.

"Hao? Shen-me shi tai shi-qing nu?!" He barked at the silent woman.

Emma rolled to the side so Sterling's cannon lined up with a man's face.

There was a burst of light, a 'shoom' of sound, and the man dropped to the ground with a charred gap between his shoulders.

*** *** *** TRANSLATIONS/DEFINITIONS

Ni shi-wu huan jian-wang shi zhi lai shi wu li yi bing: You lapse into forgetfulness when it comes to my experience with weapons

Hen-hao bao-han wo: Well excuse me

Wo pa wo bi bu-ceng zou-wei ni tong-yi: I fear I will never look upon you the same

Bao-bei: Darling

Lao-gong: Darling husband

Shi xian-sheng: Yes sir

Dong-ma?: Understand?

Hao? Shen-me shi tai shi-qing nu?!:Well? What is your business woman?!

****As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**