Angelle is mine, All else is Joss'. ----------------------------------------

Punches...and not the kind that you serve at a shindig, but the fundamental piece to any decent hand-to-hand combat. After all, is it not called a fist fight? Whether you are a nun at some church or a criminal serving time, everyone knows what a punch is and most know how to throw one, be it terribly damaging or laughable. There are even names for certain ones...like uppercut and roundhouse...though the latter can also go in line with a kick. All in all, punches are key in any good fight, unless of course, your opponent was too stubborn to throw one.

"I ain't hittin' ya, Angelle." Mal, a thin grey shirt on that definitely showed off his defined muscles, even with the trusty suspenders still slid over it.

"It's called sparring. How am I going to practice if you won't come at me?" I stood staring at him, my bare feet tapping on the metal of the cargo bay. My hands were sweaty in my half gloves and shaking my head, I sighed.

"I don't hit women. Especially one I'm gonna marry."

"Well, if that be the case, why didn't you agree to let Jayne fill your spot?"

"Umm...no." He raised an eyebrow at the notion as I huffed.

"Ain't like you're gonna hurt me?"

"I might." He defended. "Just because I'm a ship's captain, don't mean I lost my edge, missy."

"You just call me missy?" I growled.

"Think I did." Mal smiled, almost causing me to lose my concentration as I reached out and slapped his face playfully. "Hey!" Rubbing his cheek, I smiled back at him.

"Only person allowed to call me missy died awhile ago." By his look, he knew I spoke of my mother, her pet name for me when she actually cared enough to speak to me. "And you're trying to tell me of the hundreds of jobs you have done, you ain't never hit a woman."

"Okay, maybe once, but she deserved it."

"Really? The mysterious life of Captain Sargent Reynolds slowly begins to crack open...so pray tell, what did this vixen do to warrant that Browncoat rage?"

"Married me." Caught off guard by his statement, Mal swept my legs out from under me and then penned me to the floor, straddling me. "See? This is why I thought of doing this naked."

"You were married?"

"Well, on one planet anyway." His laugh echoed in my ears. "I did add the fact she was a fraud, poisoned me, tried to turn all of my crew over to some no good salvagers as well as my ship...oh, and lied to me."

"You might have left the part out." Still a bit out of it, I asked the only question still floating around in my brain. "How did she poison you?"

"Ya....um..." He stalled for a second before mumbling almost incoherently. "Kissed me."

"Goodnight kiss, huh? Been awhile since I heard of that. Ask to kill a woman who used it as her trademark. Last I heard, she disappeared into very thin air."

"She was really good with the words." He groaned.

"Oh, I'm sure. Probably quoting stuff about plows and fields ripe for harvest...or was it...she wanted you to taste of her sweet nectar as her warm core swallowed yours." I whispered the last, my legs slowly feeling him release his hold on me. In a quick move, I freed myself and completely switched it on him, my body now straddling him. "You know, Mal, I'm thinking women spouting pretty poetry might just be your weakness."

"And I thought it was red headed swamp woman with strong right hooks." He grinned up at me, running his hands down the sides of my thighs.

"Hey now, prisoners aren't allowed to sweet talk their capturers or touch them." I laughed. "Wait, how do you know I have a strong right hook?"

"Cadaver warned me never to piss you off and if I did, duck."

"When did I ever....ahhh...yup, I remember that day. He really had it comin'."

"I'm sure. Well, now that you have me trapped under your magnificent body, what pray tell you plannin' to do with me?"

"Well, I usually don't discuss my plans with my prisoners, but being as you are quite the handsome devil," He and I both grinned at that. "I plan on stealing your ship, selling your crew into slavery, and using the money to pay for a kick ass wedding."

"Ain't it gonna be a might lonely without the groom?"

"True," I looked up assuming a 'thinkin' position. "You think Jayne is free?"

His hands were to my sides as his fingers dug gently, driving tickle chills through my body. Unable to concentrate, I fell over as Mal continued, me gasping for breath.

"Stop....it." I laughed as he smiled. "Who you marrying?" He asked, continuing his torture.

"You." I gasped as he stopped and then kissed me deeply. It probably would have continued, but a throat clearing stopped us. Zoe stood about ten feet from us and shook her head.

"Thought you two were sparring."

"We are." I called from the floor, looking at her upside down.

"Ain't what we use to call it." She grinned as Mal frowned.

"Need something?"

"Serenity is approaching the Bayou's atmo. Wanted to know if you want to land it or let River."

He looked to me first and then back at Zoe. "I better. Not that I don't trust her, but that platform ain't very big and the right side's a bit off center." Standing and offering me a hand up, he dusted himself off, planted a kiss on my cheek, and grabbed the dust green button up shirt from the weight bench before heading toward the stairs. Zoe walked over and shook her head as we both watched him walk away. “Is it just me or is Mal a bit nervous about something?”

She gave me that sideway grin of hers. “Ain't every day when you're the one havin' to tell a dad that his only daughter accepted your proposal for marriage.”

“Sure, but Daddy said it was okay, though to think the man actually thought I would dare to get married is beyond...” It dawned on me. “You don't really think my daddy said yes just because he thought I'd say no. Daddy loves Mal to bits. Trust me, both you and Mal are completely and totally sweating nothing.” I walked away heading for my room.

“Where you going? Will be landing soon.” Zoe shouted after me. I turned to her and grin slightly.

“Getting my shotgun. Just in case.”

******** *******

“So, Needles, how bad is it?” The good doctor met us at the landing platform, swamp water creeping up further than it had last time. Rainy season was at hand, as a few villagers met us with umbrellas.

“Might want to close up your ship, Captain Reynolds. Bad storm is a' comin'.” Gunner called as he handed Kaylee and Simon his covering, opting to get poured on. Of course, that's what was happening to me, but the cold raindrops felt like heaven after the clean easy streets of Persephone.

“One of my crew is opting to stay aboard, at least until after the rain is through. Any idea when that will be?” Mal pointed inside as Jayne and Lou walked down followed close by a skipping River, who tried to catch the millions of raindrops on her tongue.

“Next week sometime.” I called back, loud enough for Inara to hear as she stood in the shadows of the cargo bay. “Ain't called rainy season for nothing. Serenity will be okay, but it might get difficult to get to her without a boat of some kind. Trust me, this is light compared to the usual.” Both Gunner and I had been out maybe a few minutes and were already completely drenched. Might give you an idea as to how bad the rain really was. “I can come back and get her tomorrow. In the covered boat. First, I want to know how my daddy is.”

Mal nodded and tossed a look back inside before motioning for Inara to close the ramp. Gunner helped Zoe through the thickening mud as Needles leaned over to Mal and I. “Sam is stable. Man has a will to live like I've never seen, well, save for his own flesh and blood.” I could smell the alcohol on his breath and I sighed as he turned to Mal. “Did I ever tell you the time when I had to stitch this girl up because she decided to go play inside a gator's mouth?”

“Needles, my dad?”

“Oh, sorry, Angelle.” He looked back at me. “He's talking. Been ordering everyone around.” The older man looked over my shoulder and then back at me. “Ain't that Sam's sister Lou Lou?”

“Yup.” I smiled and Needles shrunk to hide behind me. “Mother of God, woman, why the hell she have to come here?”

“Because she missed you so much.” I grinned and stopped as he continued. Out in the open, it didn't take much for Lou to see him.

“Horus Corrin,” she called in the rain. “Is that your good for nothing carcass?” He nodded weakly. “You mean to tell me my brother still lets you play doctor around here? Think he would have learned the last time you tried to kill Angelle here.”

“It was a common mistake, Aunt Lou. Will you give it a rest.” I tried to defuse the bomb and yes, I know I was the one that done created it, but I assure you it would have still come out.

“Common mistake? He used a bad needle. Infection won't have set in and caused that ugly scar had he used the whiskey for sterilizing instead of drinking.” She went for him and he ducked as I stopped her.

“You're right, but he also didn't plan on having me come in looking like tomorrow's dinner either. Everyone was partying that night, even Daddy and there was more whiskey passed around than you could pile in Mal's cargo bay. Needles did the best he could and it saved my life. Maybe he could have done it better, but if he hadn't done it at all, I wouldn't be here to defend him.”

“Doctor shouldn't drink that heavy ever. Especially one that oversees a place like this. Ain't right.”

“Ain't right a woman sells her body for sex either, but society seems to think it is.” I knew the slap was coming even before she raised her hand and as I felt it connected, I made no motion to dodge it. A tear rolled down her face and she walked away from me, Jayne following her as I stood in the rain, a red whelp developing on my cheek.

“Didn't have to defend me, Angelle, she was right.” Needles spoke beside me, but I barely heard him.

“World needs to realize ain't nobody perfect.”

“But, I made a mistake that night. Don't understand why your dad still lets me work.”

“Because you've saved more lives than you've endangered. Including mine.” I looked at him, the rain hiding the tears rolling down my face. He looked at me and nodded walking toward the lights of the village as Mal came up behind me, his wet body reaching out for mine. His arms slid around my waist and I felt him kiss my head.

“Give her time to cool down.”

“Think it's the first time I've insulted her. Daddy says Lou's hand print should just be a permanent fixture on my face when she comes here. Be the reason she doesn't come all that much. Lou forgets this ain't Persephone with all its marvels and modern frills. We take what we get. Sometimes, she needs reminding that this ain't there.”

“Pretty harsh though, what you said.” I felt myself pull away and I turned to face him.

“Trust me, that ain't nothing compared to what I will say to Inara if you don't handle it first.” I snapped at him and walked away, letting the hardening rain cover me. So I might have been a bit harsh there as well, but believe you me, I would rather him talk with her now, than for me to have to shoot her later. After all, everyone knows that a swamp filled with gators is the perfect place to dump a body...just sayin...*evil grin*