She was the kind a man would kill for. Her shape spoke to something deep in his soul, reaching out, needing to be touched, protected …

He knew what she’d feel like in his hands, stroking her, making her perfect in every way.

She cost more than he was normally willing to pay, but that was to be expected. She was too fine for this place, and that meant cashey-money.

He swiftly counted what nestled in his pocket, realised he had enough. Just. There’d be nothing left after, but … hell, it was worth it.

“Okay,” he said, slapping the coin down on the counter. “Let’s do this.”

Some time later he strolled up the ramp into Serenity’s cargo bay, whistling some currently popular ditty and mangling it into tunelessness, a satisfied smirk plastered across his face.

Mal glared at him. “You wanna get left behind?” the captain asked peevishly.

“Why, ain't late, am I?”

“Oh, only ‘bout an hour. We’ve got that job on Greengage, and we need to get gone.”

“Well, I’m here now. Don’t get your panties in a bundle.” Jayne sauntered to the stairs, moving surprisingly quietly for someone of his bulk.

As the ramp lifted and the doors closed, Mal narrowed his eyes, staring at his merc. “Wait a sec, what’s that?”

Jayne paused, wondering what he had on him. Maybehaps a spider or something. “What? Where?” he asked, ready to swat it away.

“In your pocket.”

The big man looked down. “Oh, that.” He drew out an oiled cloth, pulling it to one side. “Ain't she a beauty?”

“She’s a gun.” Mal barely suppressed the sigh that rippled through him. “Ain't you got enough guns?”

“She’s a Reilly smooth-bore .45, with exchangeable barrels and double magazine capacity.” He stroked the metal lovingly. “Took every penny I had on me, but … cao, she’s worth it.”

“It’s another gun, Jayne.”

Suspecting no sarcasm, the mercenary simply breathed, “Yeah.” Wrapping the pistol back in the cloth, he slipped it back into his pants. “Gonna call her Maud. After a whore I knew once back on Paquin. She had the cutest little –”

“Jayne.”

They exchanged a look, Mal’s being half-way between annoyance and exasperation, and Jayne’s being all disappointment that the other man just couldn’t see the pleasure in a gun that was better than good.

“Anyone wants me,” he said, “I’ll be in my bunk. Introducing Maud to the rest of the girls.” He strode up the stairs, his boots clanking at every step, until he disappeared through the top hatch.

Mal stared at the empty doorway, feeling the Firefly taking off under his feet. Sometimes, he thought to himself, he’d never understand Jayne Cobb.